


Winter's Son

by baeconandeggs, oraceon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Culture Shock, Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Minor Injuries, Non-Graphic Violence, Past Character Death, Post-War, Romance, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 49,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24670726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/oraceon/pseuds/oraceon
Summary: Prince Chanyeol is just like his kingdom - cold and distant, but strikingly beautiful, held back by pain at his very core. Baekhyun wonders if his icy heart will stay frozen forever, or if it too will melt with the snow, come springtime.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 103
Kudos: 680
Collections: BAE2020





	Winter's Son

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE281  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** Quite proud of myself considering the length of this one, despite everything that's been going on and how much busier I've been this year compared to the usual. Thank you to the mods once again for putting up with my tomfoolery, you always do such a great job year after year in facilitating all of this as it grows bigger and bigger each time, even in times of crisis for all of us. Thank you to the prompter for the lovely concept, I hope I've done something you kind of like maybe? Thank you to all my friends who made me laugh and lifted my mood enough for me to even be able to keep writing at all. And thank you to everyone who reads this - you make writing worthwhile, and I hope I can make you smile even a little bit in these times of stress.

It's only the end of September, but Baekhyun already has goosebumps.

Trudging through the leaves that had collected around the entryway to the house, he turns the wrought iron key in the lock, slipping his shoes off at the entrance to the hallway after closing the door firmly behind him.

"Honey? Is that you?" Gayoung's voice calls out from one of the bedrooms, no doubt where's she's taking care of the baby.

"It's just me," Baekhyun replies sheepishly, placing the sacks of firewood at his feet. Even after the marriage, Baekbeom had insisted that Baekhyun should stay under the same roof as him and his wife until he could stand on his own two feet. Gayoung had only ever been supportive too, never complaining about the size of the house or the lesser privacy, but Baekhyun always feels like a third-wheel and, more importantly, a burden - especially with the arrival of the baby.

Gayoung comes shuffling out to greet him, baby Baekhee shifting around restlessly in her arms. "Baekhee look! It's Uncle."

Baekhee keeps squirming even as Baekhyun leans down to meet her eye level. "Hello princess," Baekhyun says. His niece starts to reach for his hand, and he already knows what she wants. "Ok, calm down your highness," he says, extending his palm to grasp hers in front of her face. After a moment or two, her skin begins to glow gently, a soft white light not quite strong enough to hurt her developing eyes. Immediately Baekhee stops in her place, transfixed on the glow.

"I don't know what we'd do without you," Gayoung whispers under her breath, careful not to distract the baby in her arms.

"It's no problem at all, she's the one doing the hard work," Baekhyun says, smiling as Baekhee's eyes flutter closed, nodding to Gayoung who gently carries her back to her bed. "At least I can be useful here," he says once she's out of earshot.

She returns a few minutes later, hands free now to help. "Beom should be back from work soon. How was your day?"

"The same as usual," Baekhyun says, sitting in front of the fireplace, taking the pieces of firewood as Gayoung passes them to him, stocking up the hearth. "At this time of year there's not much to do other than pull up potatoes. Jongdae and I can't do our routine until the equinox, after all."

"I can imagine. Must be boring out there." She sits down, leaning forward keenly as Baekhyun attempts to stoke the fire, hands clapping her knees through her woollen nightgown. "By the way, did you hear the Lumïrian Prince is seeking a potential match to be wedded to?"

"Is he now?" Baekhyun asks courteously, only half-interested. Everyone knows him, as they do all the children of the royal families of each kingdom. "Well I'm sure it will be easy to find someone among the nobility or another royal to marry him."

"That's what's interesting though," Gayoung says, patting her knees excitedly. "They're doing an open search, even among commoners. They're trying to find someone with a favourable Trait to his. They've already finished the viewings in the other kingdoms, and they're coming to Heddyn next."

This is fairly surprising, as he's never known a royal to marry outside of noble blood before, but the idea of Trait selection does sound like something a royal family would do, trying to maximise their regent's power. "What is his Trait anyway?"

She smirks a little. "Curious, are we? It would be the standard, the starting of winter. The making of the mess that we have to clean up," she huffs a little, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "Ardienta and Lumïr, both like that. Too concerned with themselves to think about the other two kingdoms. How much did they extend their reigning period by this year?"

"Almost a month," Baekhyun mutters. It had been hard; he can't deny it. The Winter kingdom, Lumïr, had offered reparations for the limited harvest they'd forced upon Heddyn - Baekhyun's home and the carriers of Spring - but the damage had been done. The harvest this spring was barely enough to feed the population, and definitely not as much as their regular harvest turned each year.

"Exactly. We are all supposed to get 3 months each per kingdom, but if they cut into our time like that, we barely get long enough to save what we need." She runs a frustrated hand through her hair, fingers getting caught in a tangle for a second before she pulls them free. "We're not yet in October, but they're already making plans for their season to begin. Maybe marrying someone from another kingdom will be good for them, because they'll see how their actions affect others."

Just as she finishes her last sentence, the door clicks open. Baekbeom enters, face looking decidedly stressed. Being a physician, this isn't really a rare face for him, but Gayoung asks what's wrong anyway, expecting yet another reply about some under-fed schoolboy or overworked manual labourer. The answer she receives instead has her frozen in shock.

"They invited me to the marriage viewing for the Lumïrian Prince. As a potential groom."

Both Gayoung and Baekhyun wait for him to crack a smile, to show some indication that he's joking, but it never comes. Rather, Baekbeom rushes to a chair, head landing firmly in his hands.

"I knew we should have gotten officiated. It would have taken longer but we should have done it," he says, massaging his forehead in frustration.

"Baekhee was already on her way, we didn't have a choice," Gayoung says, coldly deadpan. "And we would have needed my parents to act as witness, something we both know they would never do."

Baekhyun can hear the hurt in her voice, buried deep enough under years of suppression but still sharp enough to be felt. Gayoung, the daughter of one of Heddyn's top ministers, had maintained her relationship with childhood sweetheart Baekbeom for years in secret - him and Baekhyun's parents had been servants in her household, and naturally feelings had developed over time. When she became pregnant, however, the tides suddenly changed. Both had to leave if they wished to stay together, and so they did. Baekhyun, who had never truly felt at home with his parents anyway, joined his brother and new sister-in-law, the sole witness at their unofficial wedding ceremony.

He sees the fear in their eyes now, and thinks about Baekhee sleeping soundly in the other room. Someone with a powerful Trait like his brother's - the power to heal the sick - would be valued in any kingdom, but especially Lumïr, where illness is common and often deadly. If he attended it's likely he would be chosen as the Prince's match. The only way to thwart the plan is for him to not attend at all.

"I'll go," Baekhyun blurts out, breaking the silent stillness in the air.

His older brother stares at him in confusion, then shakes his head dismissively. "No Baekhyun, they've called for me. Like it or not I have to go."

"If you go, they'll choose you, and then what?" Baekhyun responds in a raised voice, Gayoung looking down slightly as if trying to compose herself. "It would be more disrespectful for you to turn up just to reject the proposal than send someone else in your place. I'll explain the situation in person myself, and with my Trait I know they're not going to want me."

Gayoung perks up at this. "You don't know that's true, Baekhyun," she starts to protest, only to falter upon seeing the pensively serious look on Baekbeom's face.

"Are you sure you're fine with this, little brother?"

It takes a moment, but eventually Baekhyun nods. If this is how he can be useful to his brother then so be it - he had already burdened him too long. "When and where is the viewing?"

♤

Conveniently, the Lumïrian court had opted to travel to the kingdoms themselves rather than call suitors to them, probably in an attempt to maximise attendance. Baekhyun enters the banquet hall he'd only visited once before, when Gayoung had dragged him and Baekbeom along to one of the royal parties. He doesn't remember much from that night aside from the copious amounts of food he ate, but the atmosphere in the hall today is clearly different.

A sea of faces from all over the kingdom fill the room, all dressed in their best clothes, makeup done and smiles ready. Baekhyun feels severely under-dressed, being the only one here not trying to impress anyone. There's a few questioning and even some judgemental stares from people who don't know him. There are, as well, one or two people who recognise him from work or school, and when they notice him among the crowd they whisper to each other, ending in laughter. Baekhyun remains unfazed, until eventually the buzz of the crowd settles down as the Court Speaker from Lumïr begins to speak.

"Good evening everyone. The Park Household of the Royal Family of Lumïr would like to thank you all for attending our final marriage viewing today for His Royal Highness, Prince Chanyeol." He breaks for the crowd to applaud in polite anticipation. "You have been invited here today because we believe your Traits would be compatible with His Royal Highness, allowing him to reach his true potential as our next ruler. To assess this, as well as your personal values and how fit you are for the honour, we will be talking to each of you individually. Please help yourselves to the refreshments until your name is called, we will begin the viewing shortly."

Once the speaker leaves the main hall, the masses erupt again into another bustle of noise.

"God, I can't wait so long! I have things to do today after this, and they didn't even bring him out for us to see!" Baekhyun hears a young woman in a gold, slightly tacky looking dress, complaining to her friend in the buffet line, as people gradually begin to be called in.

"Is that surprising? He's a royal, they're going to try and keep him away from us commoners as long as they can. Honestly I doubt they'll even go through with this and not just have him married off to some other royal or noble. Giving us hope like this seems a bit cruel," the man in a three-piece suit next to Baekhyun replies.

"Wasn't he betrothed to Prince Kyungsoo? I wonder what happened to that," another says as yet another name is called out.

The first girl pipes up again, after finishing filling up her plate. "Whatever happened, Prince Kyungsoo is a madman. I've heard word about Prince Chanyeol's handsomeness, not to mention his skill in sports as well as the arts." She sighs dreamily. "Now let's just hope he's not a prick, and he might just be my Prince Charming."

"Kim Gahyeon," the guard announces, making her jump a little and her friends laugh. She stands, hurrying as soon as she's up, heels clicking quickly across the floor as she goes.

"As if she could pass. Her Trait is a dime a dozen. There are plenty of better-looking people here who can make crops grow just as well. Prince Kyungsoo's own trait is increasing soil fertility, why does she think Prince Chanyeol will settle for her," her so-called friend guffaws, and Baekhyun grimaces a little inside but says nothing.

After a few minutes, she returns, a slight sense of dejection in her eyes and gathering around her slightly hunched shoulders. Her footsteps are a lot slower now. "Well, I couldn't impress them," she says, trying to force a smile but looking a little pathetic overall. "Good luck guys." Without another word she starts making her way to the exit, where many others are already pouring out. Just before she turns the corner, she raises her gloved arm to her face, clearly wiping away tears they can't see.

"Byun Baekbeom," a pause. "Byun Baekbeom?"

Baekhyun snaps out of the daze, of the thoughts still lingering on the girl who had just been rejected and the dreams she must've had which just got crushed, standing up maybe a little too quickly judging by the way many turn their heads to look at him. He bows a little in embarrassment before following the guard, trying to maintain his breathing. After all, he's here to inform, not impress.

Just outside the door, the guard checks Baekhyun once for any weapons he might be concealing. It's purely formality, as the two kingdoms had long known peace since the year-share treaty was signed. After he's deemed safe, the guard knocks on the door, upon which the familiar voice of the speaker sounds with a "come in" from the other side of the door, sounding decidedly more tired than the start of the evening.

Baekhyun enters the room, and he can't decide whether the aura is one of an interview or an interrogation. Either way, it's tense, and he can feel the intimidation rolling across him in waves as he takes his seat. Directly across from him is the First Minister of Lumïr, whom he recognises from the occasional diplomatic rally he'd held in Heddyn. Baekhyun remembers him as being stern, and quite direct, but at the moment he just looks weary. On one side of him sits the equally exhausted speaker, and on the other, sits Prince Chanyeol.

Baekhyun had heard the young prince was handsome, but he is not prepared for this. Chanyeol sits, slightly slouched and seemingly disinterested, in his seat, but even with his posture Baekhyun can tell he's tall. His shoulders, significantly wider than those of the other men on the panel, are prominent through the tightness of the fitted black shirt he wears, his snow-white coat strewn across the back of his chair. In contrast, his hair, silver and casually coiffed, gently frames his same hue eyes which barely give Baekhyun more than a few glances. He's surprisingly slightly tanned, for someone from Lumïr, a royal at that.

"Byun Baekbeom, is it? I hear your Trait is healing, and you're not half-bad looking either. As it stands you are our most appealing candidate of the day," the minister says, peering at some documents in front of him through thick-rimmed gold spectacles.

"About that," Baekhyun says, steeling himself. "Baekbeom could not attend this viewing today. He deemed it disrespectful to waste your time, as he already has a wife and child."

The minister and speaker look at each other, incredibly confused. For a moment Chanyeol's eyebrows raise, before he settles back into indifference. For as beloved as he seems to be on paper, he certainly doesn't give off a great first impression once you get past his looks, Baekhyun thinks.

"Then who might you be," the speaker asks.

He clears his throat. "I'm his younger brother, Byun Baekhyun."

"Well if you're related then surely you must have a strong Trait as well. His Highness has the Royal Lumïrian Traits for the starting of winter. Are you compatible?"

For a split second, Chanyeol looks up at Baekhyun, and they make eye contact for the first time. It's Chanyeol that he's looking at when he replies. "I don't think so. My Trait is the ability to give physical form to energy, by converting it to visible light. I doubt that would come in handy to you."

Chanyeol seems to smirk a little to himself as the other two discuss. "Mr Byun, on our records it shows no record of your brother's marriage. Can you please reassure us that we have not been rejected under false pretences?"

He feels the pressure mounting as the two men stare at him, Chanyeol checking his nails without a care. "He and his wife Moon Gayoung married without permission from either parental side, and so we were not able to have their marriage officiated, though they did have a wedding to which I was witness. Their daughter just recently turned 8 months old."

The minister states at him for a moment, before making some notes on the document. "Thank you, Mr Byun, that will be all."

Baekhyun stands up and bows to each of them individually, but they barely pay him any heed. He hasn't even left when he hears them start talking about him.

"What a strangely specific Trait. What a shame it must be to be born with such a talented brother and you end up with that," the speaker says, shaking his head.

"His Highness and Mr Byun seem to have something in common then," the minister snidely remarks, a haughty chuckle leaving him.

Baekhyun is at the door to the room when he feels it, the intense rush of heat behind him. He can't help but turn around, only to see the speaker and minister facing their prince, slightly afraid.

"Please calm down Your Highness, we know you're angry but you know your other Trait can be dangerous," the speaker laughs nervously.

"No no, please tell me more about how inadequate it is compared to every other Royal's secondary Trait," he says, and Baekhyun realises it's the first time he's heard him speak. His voice is surprisingly deep, and even though he's clearly furious in this moment, it's far from raised.

The prince is holding his palm open, and Baekhyun can sense the heat energy coming off of it. Strange already for a Lumïrian, but on top of that, there's no visible sign of it. Though rude, the officials aren't wrong - this Trait is dangerous.

Baekhyun rushes back, alarming the officials. "Guard," the speaker shouts, and Chanyeol turns his hand towards Baekhyun as a reflex.

Baekhyun just about ducks in time, grabbing onto Chanyeol's wrist. After a moment, there is a small flickering, and Chanyeol and his ministers stare wide-eyed as a brilliant white flame begins to materialise in his palm, just missing Baekhyun's head. Chanyeol turns his palm up, and Baekhyun stands, looking at the flame itself and then staring directly into Chanyeol's eyes, the Prince's wrist hot under his fingers. "Don't use your power if you don't know its strength," he says, before finally letting go and leaving, pushing past the guard without looking back.

"Is everything alright," the guard asks, hand ready to draw his sword.

As the officials calm down and take their seats again, muttering feverishly between themselves, and the guard returns out to the main hall to call yet another potential candidate, Chanyeol can't help but stare at his hand, where the fire is now invisible again, eyebrows furrowed. For the first time in his life, he had seen something he had only ever felt up until now - something he'd been forced to keep hidden, a secret to the world.

And it had been beautiful.

♤

The following day at work is quiet again, as per usual. At this time of year, when the sun still lingers until the later hours of the evening, Baekhyun's services aren't really needed. Even during winter, he's usually the second choice compared to lanterns, which don't need to be paid, after all. The one time he feels truly useful is storm season, working with Jongdae for their thunder and lightning duo. There are others who could probably do it better, but Baekbeom had asked a few favours and managed to get him the job; yet another reason he's indebted to his brother.

"I'm surprised you didn't get arrested for laying hands on a royal," Jongdae says, absently passing Baekhyun a shovel for him to dig up the potatoes that have to be harvested. "If a commoner did that to Prince Kyungsoo? Guillotine."

"The death penalty was abolished decades ago, Jongdae," Baekhyun answers, trying to tug at the root with one hand but eventually having to resort to both.

"Here, yes," he says, "but we don't know what Lumïrian laws are like. They could skin you and wear you like their reindeer pelts, for all we know." He catches the potato Baekhyun throws over and drops it in the now full jute sack before slinging it over his shoulder, dropping it off at the collection area at the end of the shed only to return with another sack, empty and ready for filling.

Baekhyun pays him no mind, continuing to pull at the plants systematically. He hadn't given much thought to yesterday's events - he hadn't been particularly distraught over messing up his prospects to be royalty, as he never had any in the first place. Gayoung had been incredibly curious about Prince Chanyeol once he reached home, barely giving him time to take his shoes off before asking a thousand questions. Baekhyun agrees the man is handsome, with an ethereal quality about him truly characteristic of a royal, but fitting his kingdom and his powers, he seemed cold and secluded too. If he had found a match among Heddyn's suitors then good for them, Baekhyun thinks to himself, but he most certainly couldn't handle that.

"Baekhyun," Jongdae says, but is ignored again. "Baekhyun," he hisses under his breath this time, finally getting the man to look up at him, albeit annoyed, with a foot nudge to the arm. "I was joking about the arrest part, so why are there Lumïrian guards here?"

For a moment Baekhyun thinks it's another quip, but before he can return to tending the vegetables, he catches sight of the navy blue, well-fitted uniforms of the Lumïrian royal guards, many of whom he had seen yesterday. They seem to be scanning the area, eventually discussing something with the farm's owner, Mr Jung, who had hobbled over to where they were stood like an obedient dog, despite his age. And all of a sudden, Mr Jung is pointing their way.

"Shit, you really are going to be arrested," Jongdae says, crouching next to Baekhyun. "What did you do?"

He can feel a lump in his throat as the guards approach, and he knows his hands are quivering, but when the guards finally reach him, announcing his name, Baekhyun stands up anyway.

"Byun Baekhyun," the short but well-built guard says, looking up from his scroll for a split second so as to confirm a face, while regarding Jongdae, who's standing next to him in angry defiance, with amusement. "You've been selected as a match."

The two of them stare back at him blankly. "For what?" Jongdae asks, but Baekhyun can already feel chills settling into him as he guesses what's coming next.

"You've been chosen as a marriage match for His Royal Highness," the guard says, apparently holding back laughter as Jongdae turns to Baekhyun, clearly ready to lose his mind.

Baekhyun doesn't give him a chance, clearing his throat and pulling his chin up. "Tell your Prince that if he intends to marry me, he'll need to come and ask me himself."

The guard, rather than looking scandalized, looks surprised, and maybe even a little impressed. "I will pass the message on," he says, bowing to the both of them before the group leave swiftly.

Once they're out of earshot, Jongdae grabs his friend by the shoulders. "Are you out of your mind?! You just got a proposal from a prince! And you said no?"

Baekhyun crouches again, trying to pretend like none of that just happened but still feeling nervous jitters running up and down his spine. "It was from his household, not him. Based on his demeanour yesterday, I doubt he has any interest in getting married at all," Baekhyun says, half to Jongdae and half to reassure himself. "I won't subject him or myself to a union without love, certainly not just for his status. I'm sure he's been through enough of that already."

Jongdae groans, sitting next to him again. "You could've paid your brother back a lot sooner if you'd have accepted."

"With someone else's money? That's just one debt for another," Baekhyun says, looking up when Mr Jung's woolly socks appear in his vision behind the leaves.

"I hope those guards weren't here because you two caused any trouble," he says, voice gruff from tobacco and tinged with suspicion.

"No sir, nothing of the sort," Jongdae covers for them easily. "They just came to ask about Baekhyun's brother, that's all." Once Mr Jung accepts the excuse and begins returning to his deck, Jongdae allows himself to drop his shoulders completely, watching as Baekhyun continues to harvest. "Well I hope you like farming potatoes to earn your own money, because this is going to be the rest of our lives."

And maybe it will. Aside from the few weeks of thunderstorms they work on together, this is all they can do. Inside, Baekhyun knows it's not concern for the Prince that's stopping him from accepting the proposal, but the fact that that's a life too big for him. He's just a nobody with a nothing Trait, and he'd feel even more useless, surrounded by talent, with so many eyes on him.

"So be it," is all he says out loud though.

♤

By the end of the day both Baekhyun and Jongdae are exhausted. Knowing Jongdae will have to go home and cook for himself otherwise, Baekhyun invites him over instead, knowing Gayoung won't have any problem with it seeing as how much she babies Jongdae when he's around.

"Mr Jung said he's looking into carrots as another potential crop," Jongdae says, to which Baekhyun nods absentmindedly, turning the key in its lock. "If he has you, I don't know why he won't invest in more sunlight-dependent crops, since you can simulate it."

He pushes the heavy oak door open with some effort. "It's not so easy, I'd need an energy source to convert into light and-" Looking up, he stops in his tracks.

"What? I'm sure we can find some kind of solution." When there's no reply, Jongdae gets a little agitated. "Hey Baekhyun, are you listening -" and that's when he sees him too.

The guard from earlier that day sits with perfect posture on the bench Baekbeom had made last spring, chatting away excitedly with Gayoung, trying to seem courteous as he rejects her attempts to offer him more and more snacks. His eyes dart to where Baekhyun is as soon as the light from the doorway welcomes itself into the space, and he springs to his feet. "You finally made it," he says, in what Baekhyun would realise in retrospect were his first words to him. "We've been waiting for you."

"We?" Baekhyun mouths to himself, confused until he walks a little further in and sees something he never expected to see again - or rather, someone.

Sitting next to Baekbeom in a rather awkward position on the small, battered two-seater sofa is Prince Chanyeol, looking notably annoyed with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed.

Jongdae stares over Baekhyun's shoulder, mouth hanging open. "Is that...?"

"You didn't expect us to actually come just to meet you, did you?" The guard leans forward on the balls of his feet, fists pushing down in his pockets like a smug child. "I'll be honest, I didn't expect it either - Chanyeol isn't really the proactive type. But I guess he must have taken a shine to you during your audition."

"Enough, Minseok," a deep voice suddenly says from across the room. Prince Chanyeol stands with his eyes closed, before making his way to Baekhyun in a few short strides. "We came here for a reason."

This is the first time Baekhyun truly realises the Prince's considerable height. At the marriage meeting he had been too busy reprimanding him for his irresponsible Trait usage to notice. Thinking back on his callous behaviour that day, Baekhyun can't help but flush.

"So, we sent you a proposal, and you told us that I need to ask you personally, thinking that I wouldn't do it," he says coolly. "You came to the meeting to protect your brother, without any intention of marrying me. Don't you think both of those things are a little disrespectful?"

"I didn't mean any disrespect," Baekhyun says, composing himself. "Had my brother attended, it would have been an awkward situation for everyone. Had no one attended, you would have considered him rude. Me going in his stead helped avoid both of these situations, and I was glad to be useful." He pauses to gather his thoughts, and then meets the prince's eyes again. "Is there anything else you came all the way here for, your Majesty? I assume your schedule must be packed."

"You made a request and I'm here to fulfil it," he says, but Baekhyun simply stares at him in disbelief. "We are a good match. Marry me."

Gayoung is on her feet before Baekhyun has any time to say anything, guiding him with her hands on his shoulders to sit him down next to Baekbeom.

Chanyeol takes the seat directly opposite him, where Gayoung was previously sat. Leaning forward with interlocking fingers, but still a monotone voice, he repeats himself. "I'm proposing to you. I don't have to remind you that saying no in your position won't reflect well on you, do I?" He crosses one leg over the other. "You should feel flattered that I even granted your condition of coming here personally."

Still in shock, Baekhyun looks from Chanyeol's face to that of the only family he has. Gayoung looks over the moon, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. Baekbeom is smiling too, but there's a subtle unease lingering there, a certain empathy for his little brother who he knows more than anyone else. "May we speak alone," he asks, barely looking at Chanyeol even as he senses him nod with tired reluctance.

Inside Baekhyun's room, the prince doesn't even ask before seating himself on Baekhyun's modest single bed, examining his surroundings with languid curiosity.

Baekhyun shuts the door, not turning around but instead leaning his forehead against the painted wood. "Why are you here?"

"I told you multiple times already. I'm here with a proposal."

"I get that," Baekhyun says, standing up straight again but still not facing the royal. "But why are you proposing to me? Are you telling me there was no better candidate at any of the meetings?"

"On a technical level in accordance with my primary Trait, you weren't the best, you're right," he says. "But my primary Trait works perfectly well without any assistance. I'm here because of how your Trait works with my second." He stands, not even addressing the confusion in Baekhyun's face. "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Pack your things and be ready to be picked up. You'll stay in Lumïr for the months leading up to Dayfull, which is when the marriage ceremony will occur."

Baekhyun blocks his exit, staring down in a show of defeated indignance. "I'm sure you understand the weight of responsibilities - I have to shoulder my own. I cannot just leave my family, certainly not for a marriage I'm not interested in."

Chanyeol looks at him in what could be mistaken for pity, a small sigh escaping his lips. "The thing you said at the meeting, about your brother's marriage not being officiated. If you become part of our family, we can pull some strings to make that happen. It will be in the interest of protecting our family image, after all." He looks away as soon as Baekhyun tries to meet his eyes, as if a little ashamed. "But we cannot make requests like that of another kingdom's councils if we don't have any stakes in the matter. Do you understand?"

Baekhyun attempts to find the right words, but they escape him. Seemingly collecting himself, he makes a show of thinking for a moment, but his mind had been made up as soon as the prince had said this. Having their marriage officiated would mean Baekbeom and Gayoung can finally receive council assistance, that they will at last know for sure that enrolling Baekhee in a school when the time comes won't be made difficult. Hell, even just the prospect of being able to check into an inn together without judging eyes watching them is enough of a benefit, in Baekhyun's opinion. If he can help his brother for once, rather than the other way around, he's willing to do near anything. But there's one thing he's still unsure of. "Why are you so fixated on marrying me? Judging by your behaviour at the auditions, you don't actually seem interested in marrying anyone at all."

This makes Chanyeol stifle a laugh. "You caught me. You're right, marriage doesn't particularly interest me. But, and this must not leave this room," he says, lowering his voice to a murmur. "My father is unwell, has been for months and the outlook isn't promising. We doubt he will be physically able to welcome Winter this year." Baekhyun feels like he should say sorry, but Chanyeol doesn't seem particularly distressed by it. "As per Lumïrian tradition, the person currently ruling must have a partner. The way your Trait works with my second is the reason why I'm here."

Sighing, Baekhyun looks down, discreetly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I still don't fully understand this, and the laws of your country are new to me," he starts, before looking up, "but if it means I can help my brother and Gayoung and Baekhee, I'll do it. I'll marry you."

Chanyeol stands back a step. "Took you long enough," he finally says before brushing past Baekhyun nonchalantly, opening the door.

Baekhyun follows him out, watches him whisper in the guard's ear. He focuses on nothing but his brother's face when the news is announced. Within a span of seconds, he goes from shocked, to confused, to proud, and then to something else, a weird mix of concern and bittersweet happiness that Baekhyun can't quite put a name to.

But when Baekbeom notices Baekhyun's stare, all he gives his little brother is a smile.

♤

Baekhyun and his fiancé sit in silence.

The prince is reading a book, some sort of non-fiction collection of astronomical theory. Baekhyun spends the long carriage journey to Lumïr staring out of the incredibly clean glass windows, taking in scenery he had never seen before. This is his first time leaving Heddyn after all - the modest expeditions during school time extended as far as the border, but never any further. The babbling brooks, the vibrant orchards and valleys starting to turn to rust with the onset of Autumn, these are things he's seen before, things he grew up knowing well. But the bare rocks, the noisy waterfalls crashing into flowing pools, the evergreens standing tall and smelling like the pine oil he had only caught in the apothecary back home - those are new. The fur and feathers of every animal they see along the way seem to get lighter the longer they travel: the hares and the foxes that chase them, the tawny owls that slumber in wait of the night hunt, go from the greys and reds and browns Baekhyun has always seen to a snowy white speckled with deep black.

Saying goodbye to Baekhee had been the hardest part of the morning. Somehow, even though there's no way she could have known, she seemed to intuit that something big was about to happen, and that she didn't like it. She had reached out for Baekhyun, the way she always did whenever he peered over the edge of her cot to make silly faces. Taking her into his arms, he rocked her back and forth until her crying simmered down. Her Trait had presented early, and Baekhyun could feel it even now. Just being in her presence calmed him down, the way it did everyone lucky enough to meet her.

She had held out an outstretched palm, and Baekhyun had focused his own Trait on it. Materialising the Trait that was still in its infancy, but growing stronger and more independent day by day, and soon enough she wouldn't need Baekhyun there to help her. He can't put a name to exactly what her Trait is, but he'd like to think it's got something to do with love. She's a healer after all, just like her father, if a little more abstract.

The prince had watched their exchange this morning without a word, without so much as a shift in his distant expression. Looking across at him now, sat on the plush velvet seats of the carriage, Baekhyun wonders if he ever cries. He had already seen the man angry, and annoyed, even ashamed. He had heard him snicker mockingly, heard him sigh in exasperation. Throughout it all, there had been a sadness lingering behind his eyes somewhere, though it never seems to spread to the rest of his face. Baekhyun decides asking him questions about it wouldn't help things, though.

He stuffs a hand in his pocket, squeezing the small beagle dog plush Baekhee had given him as a farewell gift, doing her best to hold back tears as Baekhyun promised her he'd visit as often as he could before the day he's set to be wed. He doesn't know what waits for him in Lumïr, he thinks, as the curtains are drawn shortly before the noise outside of the carriage increases substantially. Palaces, royal life, even the man sat in front of him - they're all too big for him, intimidating. So he pulls his thoughts away from them, squeezing the toy in his palm, and instead thinks of Baekhee's tiny hand curling around his thumb; little things that, for a moment, make him feel giant.

♤

When they step out, it's cold. He had always known Lumïr's climate was colder than Heddyn's, no matter the season. Gayoung had filled his bags with warm clothes in anticipation, even some of Baekbeom's clothes, which his brother had given up without much protest. He pulls the collar of shirt up to conceal more of his skin, breath turning to condensation as he feels the eyes of the officials in the courtyard judging his every move.

The Minister from the meeting is here, bowing deeply. "Your Highness," he says, and a litany of staff follow suit. Baekhyun bows instinctually in return, while the prince barely nods his head in acknowledgement.

Baekhyun catches sight of the guard who'd accompanied them joining the ranks with his peers. They make eye contact for a moment, and the guard winks. Baekhyun's not sure how to respond to that, but he doesn't get the opportunity to when everyone's attention is drawn to the loud shout coming from the palace door.

"Chanyeol!" The woman trills again, holding the skirt of her dress up as she rushes down the stairs. She hurtles so fast that Chanyeol has to almost catch her when she can't quite stop in front of him.

He sighs as she tries to regain her balance - Baekhyun thinks he sighs a lot. "God, Yoora, didn't the doctor tell you to take some time to rest?"

"Oh please, I'm not so fragile. It's not every day my dear little brother brings someone home, a fiancé no less." As soon as she says it, Baekhyun sees the resemblance. "I'm still upset I couldn't join you for the selection! Now where..." Her gaze settles on Baekhyun, eyes lighting up. She takes his hands within her own silk-gloved ones. Despite what she says, she does seem very frail, but this doesn't stop her from shaking his hands thoroughly. "Hello brother-in-law. What's your name?"

"Byun Baekhyun," he says, and she smiles.

"That's a wonderful name. And you're very handsome, I can see why Chanyeol chose you. I'm Yoora, this brat's big sister," she points to Chanyeol, who rolls his eyes. "If you need help with anything, or you just want to talk or complain about my brother, don't hesitate to call for me. I'm your big sister too, now."

"Can we hurry this along, please?" Chanyeol yawns.

Now it's Yoora's turn to roll her eyes. "Don't mind him, he just gets jealous pretty easily. Doesn't like to share his things or the people around him - he was the same way to my son when he was born. Imagine being jealous of a baby!" This makes Baekhyun smile a little, as he remembers the way Jongdae used to whine about Gayoung no longer babying him when Baekhee came along, only for it all to melt away the first time he saw her. Chanyeol's ears tinge red in embarrassment, and a small chuckle leaves Baekhyun's lips before he covers his mouth.

"If we've done enough joking at my expense, can we please get inside?" Chanyeol says, stuffing his own hands in his pockets and looking very much the grown-up child Yoora seems to know well.

"Someone's eager to give his fiancé a tour, hmm?" Yoora grins. It's a little uncanny how much she reminds Baekhyun of Gayoung and her infectious warmth, despite looking so much like the cold prince currently walking ahead into the building without a word.

The palace, unsurprisingly, is grand. Much grander than the banquet hall he had attended the meeting in, much grander than Gayoung's father's house, grander than any place he'd ever been. The entrance opens onto a large first room, two sets of curving stairs extending from each side and meeting a shared upper floor. Off-white columns, made of Ardientan marble as Yoora informs him, rise up from the spotless wooden floors. Large chandeliers and wall-mounts cast even more light, which bounces off all the smooth surfaces and the painted portraits of the decorated regents of Lumïr's long past. Despite the floor being free from carpets, the room is warm. A staff member makes an off-hand comment about a specially-engineered underfloor heating system that reaches every inch of the palace.

In addition, there's a fireplace in nearly every room, and there's so many rooms. A room for dining, a room for entertaining guests, a massive library, yet another room for dining (but this one only for official dinners with foreign dignitaries). Multiple bathrooms, many attached to bedrooms which each have their own fireplace too. A stable. A parlour. A playroom. A boudoir. Any kind of room you can imagine, this palace has at least one, if not multiple.

For Baekhyun, who in his familial home had shared a room with his brother even into late adolescence, this is a world away. In Baekbeom's home, he sleeps in what is supposed to be a storage room, barely insulated enough to get him through the winter. To him, this palace is luxury in excess. To Chanyeol and Yoora, this is the only life they've ever known.

After an extensive tour, seeing even the swimming pool conservatory and the sauna and the garden courtyard, Chanyeol stops in front of a door. "This is our room," he says, as he pushes the door open.

It's different to the rest of the house, with its marble-tiled floors and unadorned white walls. In the corner sits a potted tropical plant, completely out of its element in the cold country, next to a simple fireplace that looks like it hasn't been used in years. A four-poster bed in dark wood with its headrest against the wall, in the middle of the room, is fitted with pristine white sheets, thin white linen curtains flowing around the bedframe, the kind that exist only for aesthetics, not function. On the wall facing out, a window stretches all the way across, letting as much light in as possible. Had you told Baekhyun that this was a royal's holiday home on an island off the coast of the Ardientan mainland, he would have believed you. But this is a palace in Lumïr, and this is their room.

"Our room?" Baekhyun exclaims, before the look on Chanyeol's face tells him he's being too loud. "We're not married yet."

"Lumïr has no problem with cohabitation before marriage," Chanyeol says. "In fact in most cases it's encouraged. I understand Heddyn is different, in fact I think it's quite archaic, if I'm honest." He turns to Baekhyun, hands in his pockets. "I can arrange another room for you if you'd like, if you find this uncomfortable."

Baekhyun shakes his head. All the other rooms felt explicitly aristocratic, suffocating in their grandeur. This room feels like the only place he'll be able to breathe in the whole house. And he doesn't particularly think the prince will try to overstep his boundaries either, he simply doesn't seem interested; still, sleeping on the same bed feels too intimate even then. "Can I have another bed?"

The prince doesn't make a fuss about it, simply gestures towards a maid, instructing her casually before she nods and hurries off.

Such an easy existence, Baekhyun thinks. Need something, and all you have to do is ask. No need to go hunting for bargains, or cut the timber with your own hands. A life this simple must be a little boring, but he'd take boredom over toil any day.

"My father and Lady Yunseo are out for his special treatment with the court physician, and they will only return tomorrow evening, which is when preparations for the welcome banquet shall start," Chanyeol says. "Until then, you can make yourself at home here."

Baekhyun nods, feeling overwhelmed but glad for the time to relax. Not even a few seconds later, a staff member is whispering something into Chanyeol's ear, making his brow furrow slightly, and he heads out without a word. Baekhyun, meanwhile, sits down on the bed; just the edge, trying to shift his centre of gravity almost to avoid creasing the sheets.

Not too long later, Yoora walks by, spotting him alone. "My brother, I tell you. Leaving his fiancé alone in a new country all by himself on his first day! Where did his manners go?"

"It's fine," Baekhyun says, laughing a little. "He's clearly very busy, and we've already discussed how this marriage thing is more due to necessity, for both of us."

Yoora states at him, clearly taken aback. "You're going to be spending the rest of your lives together, you shouldn't do this just due to some temporary need. If you want to leave you still have time," she says, expression hardening slightly. "I can't have anyone hurting my brother again."

They sit in silence, just like he had with her brother earlier that morning. Baekhyun doesn't know how to respond for a while, but then he thinks of something. "You can only truly be hurt by people you love," he murmurs, and Yoora's head snaps up. "The prince doesn't love me. If he changes his mind about all this and asks me to go, I'll go. But I have a responsibility to my family just as he does to his, so until that day comes, I'm not leaving."

She stares for a moment, and then snorts. "Minseok was right, you and Chanyeol are so alike. I think you'll survive here just fine." It looks like she has more to say, but she gets cut off. Somewhere in a distant part if the palace, a bell rings. "Come," Yoora says, grabbing Baekhyun by the hand again, a little roughly this time. "It's dinnertime."

♤

Baekhyun's seat for the meal, and ostensibly every meal he will have after this one as well, is next to Chanyeol's. They're in the smaller dining room, the one that's supposed to be for the family and maybe just a few close friends, so Baekhyun feels incredibly out of place.

The table hosts a surprisingly humble spread, for a royal household. A few kinds of bread, lightly seasoned potatoes, herrings in a simple sauce. Yoora, noticing Baekhyun's quiet curiosity, explains. "Harvest is around the corner, so we save our resources for the feast that happens then. I'm sure it must seem strange to you, coming from Heddyn, but our agricultural ability has always been the most lacking of the Four Kingdoms. Most of what the country eats has to be imported."

Baekhyun does remember this fact vaguely, being taught back in his school days, about how the climate of Lumïr meant it could never be fully self-sufficient unlike the other kingdoms; if only due to the colder than average temperatures at all times of the year, and the generally limited sunlight. Instead it relied on trade brought about by its strongest industries: metal ore mining, and oil - things the others need when winter comes around. During the last war, the one almost twenty years ago now, this trade had been threatened, and Baekhyun remembers hearing stories about how the population of Lumïr had almost starved to death back then, when it hadn't even been their war. Ardienta and Vitríl were battling, and Lumïr had been dragged into the fight, as their queen - the mother of their young prince - was an Ardientan, an allegiance that had to be honoured.

He takes a peek up at Chanyeol. The Prince was still a boy during the war, too young to do anything, but old enough to remember. He watches him thank the servers, using respectful language usually only reserved for those of higher status, without the haughty airs Baekhyun assumed all royals are born with. Chanyeol eats quietly, observing good posture and table manners, focused on his food until he meets Baekhyun's eyes with his.

"Eat soon, it'll get cold. Chef Yoo made a lovely first meal for you, don't waste it."

Coming to his senses, Baekhyun nods, reaching for his cutlery. Chanyeol isn't lying, the food is delicious - a distinct flavour from the ones he's used to in Heddyn, but delicious all the same. It's surprising how filling it is, despite the small portions.

"Thank you for the meal," Baekhyun says to the old lady chef of short stature, who comes out to meet them after they finish. He bows formally, only to be surprised when she holds him by the shoulders, crow's feet creasing.

"Welcome to the family," she whispers, smiling. "Be good to him."

He's not sure what to reply, but he doesn't get much of a chance anyways. Soon enough he's being ushered back to the room he's staying in for the night. That is, Chanyeol's room, now theirs.

They've brought the other bed already, slightly less ornate but still seeming incredibly comfy. In the plays and romance novels Gayoung would excitedly gush about to him, this is the part where the male lead takes the less lavish bed to afford his lady love a night of extra comfort. But this clearly isn't one of those love stories, as Chanyeol quite unceremoniously plants himself on his own luxurious bed.

Baekhyun retreats to the bathroom to change into the night clothes he'd brought with him, and by the time he returns Chanyeol is similarly ready for bed. The prince is back to reading his book in the warm light of the oil lamps on his bedside table, but for a moment pauses to look Baekhyun up and down, making Baekhyun shift in place. "You can't be sleeping in that. Today is unavoidable, but our tailor will be visiting tomorrow. I'll make sure to ask him to do up some night attire for you, as well as the day clothes. You'll be meeting my father and Lady Yunseo tomorrow."

He hadn't really considered that side of it - royal duties, or learning about all new customs. The man sharing the room with him is such a puzzle in himself that Baekhyun can barely spare a thought for anything else. He's just about able to register how warm the room is when he lays back and feels the coolness of the silk pillowcase. The ceiling is a plain white, and he watches the glow from the oil lamps flicker across its surface. Everything else is miles away from the cotton blankets and rustic wooden beams in the ceiling of his own home, but these lights are the same. He wonders whether Baekhee is able to get to sleep without him there to calm her down.

After a while, Chanyeol extinguishes the lamp, and Baekhyun is plunged into a darkness he's never experienced before. In Heddyn, where skies are clear, the light of the moon or the stars would always be streaming through your window. Here in Lumïr though, the clouds and the fumes from the mines blanket the city in a suffocating night. It makes Baekhyun feel restless, like his eyes aren't working right. He looks in the direction he thinks Chanyeol ought to be, but it's so dark he can't even make out the outline of his bed. He can hear him though, sleeping already, breaths steady and deep. Baekhyun wishes, just for a moment, that he could lay his hand over the prince's chest as he inhales and exhales, just for the confirmation that he's real, and not a product of hallucination in this sensory deprivation. Timing his own breaths with his fiancé's, the void of darkness turns into one of sleep, and Baekhyun lets his dreams take him back home.

♤

Baekhyun wakes up drenched in sweat.

He doesn't know how he got to sleep in such terrible heat to begin with. Chanyeol isn't in his bed, but Baekhyun can hear the sounds of water from the ensuite bathroom. A maid enters not too long afterwards, to change both his and Chanyeol's sheets, which she informs him she'll do every day.

"Isn't that quite excessive?" Baekhyun asks, helping her fold despite her protests.

"His Highness sweats a lot during the night, as do you, so we must. Lord knows why he insists on sleeping in an oven every night," she murmurs under her breath, wiping her brow.

Baekhyun had assumed that Chanyeol got supernaturally cold, so he needed the heat, but clearly not. He can't even think of asking further, as Chanyeol opens the door, wearing nothing but a towel tied at his hips. He averts his eyes immediately, blush reaching his ears.

The maid sees this and chuckles, clearly nonplussed by Chanyeol's state of undress. "Your Highness," she bows, before leaving, items for washing in hand.

"Don't you have any shame?" Baekhyun whispers, still looking away.

"I told you, things are different here," Chanyeol says, pulling a fitted navy blue shirt over himself, finally letting Baekhyun look up. "Until a certain age, everyone enters the same bathhouses, and even after, there are ones for couples regardless of marriage status. The ceremony and documentation of marriage is simply a formality."

"Why must we be married then? Is betrothal not enough?" Baekhyun asks, and Chanyeol stares at him.

"Do you think Heddyn would accept the alliance if they knew we weren't married," he asks, folding the cuffs up to expose his forearms, lean but muscular. "Lumïrian royals have to marry because of how the other kingdoms see things."

Baekhyun sits up, his silk shirt slipping off his shoulder slightly. He pulls it up quickly, despite what Chanyeol has just told him about Lumïr. Years of modesty drilled into him as a citizen of Heddyn won't be unlearned so easily. "I don't understand why your royals have to marry from different kingdoms anyway. Our royals are free to marry who they choose."

"That's a luxury afforded to the middle kingdoms," he says, dropping his towel nonchalantly. Baekhyun has to hold back a yelp as he shuts his eyes. "You only need to welcome the season your kingdom holds dominion over, and so a pairing with Traits of the same genus can suffice. But for us and Ardienta, our seasons being the extremes, we must both welcome our season and bid it farewell. And so we need counterractive Traits to our own, to join us in our ruling, and to pass on to our children."

"That flame Trait you have," Baekhyun says, finally daring to look up and breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing Chanyeol fully dressed now. "Is that from your mother then?"

The prince visibly flinches, then stares at Baekhyun with a simmering anger. "That's none of your business." He doesn't even give Baekhyun a chance to apologise for overstepping his boundaries, leaving the room quickly and slamming the door behind him.

Shocked by the sudden burst of rage, Baekhyun sits there for a while, willing his heart to stop beating so fast. Maybe it had been too intrusive of a question, but had there been any way for Baekhyun to know that? He had merely been curious, and asked a simple question. Sighing, he resigns himself to apologising to Chanyeol later, and for now getting dressed to take on whatever they have in store for him today.

Just as he gets out of the shower there's a knock on the door, and he freezes, then flails to get wrap his towel around himself. "Wh- who is it?"

There's a feminine laugh on the other side of the door. "Come on out, you need to be fitted for your clothes," Yoora chimes. "We don't have much time, so we brought the tailor here instead." When he doesn't come out straight away, she chuckles. "Alright, I get it. Modest Heddyn-folk and all that. I'll leave the room. See you later!"

A few light footsteps and the swing of a door later, he takes a deep breath and steps out. The tailor is a tall man - though not as tall as the prince - with tanned skin and an athletic frame. His hair is a dyed emerald green, styled into an undercut, his eyes a deep brown. He's a very different kind of attractive from the prince, but he's attractive all the same.

He bows formally. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr Byun. My name is Kim Jongin, personal tailor for the royal household of Lumïr. I'm here to take your measurements for the banquet tonight."

Baekhyun suddenly remembers Chanyeol briefly mentioning a welcome banquet, but he barely has time to open his mouth to ask a question before Jongin is reciting instructions, positioning him on a stool he's brought with him, making notes in his leather-bound book and nibbling on the end of his pencil.

"You have an attractive body, Mr Byun," he says, very matter-of-factly. "His Highness is indeed a lucky man."

Suddenly remembering his nudity, Baekhyun clutches the towel to himself even tighter, flushing from head to toe. "Can I get dressed before we continue?"

Jongin quirks an eyebrow, and then laughs. "I forgot that you are Heddyn-folk. The people I know from Heddyn are just like you. My apologies, you may wear your underwear, but any other clothes will get in the way of the measurements."

It's better than nothing, Baekhyun thinks, pulling his briefs up under his towel and appreciating Jongin's very showy display of not looking, hand to his eyes and staring in the opposite direction. "Do you know many people from Heddyn," he asks, interest piqued.

"Only a handful. I've joined the royal envoy going over there for the past few years." He pulls out a measuring tape, making mental note of several different numbers before committing them to the page, slipping his pencil behind his ear each time to repeat the process. "It's a beautiful kingdom. Even in my spare time I like to stop by."

"It's not a short journey, you must be fine with travelling a lot," Baekhyun remarks, reminded of the awkward hours he'd spent in the royal carriage.

"My Trait allows me to move at incredibly fast speeds, making travel next to instantaneous." In the next instant, faster than the blink of an eye, he's disappeared from the spot he was standing in and now stands with his arms crossed in the opposite corner or the room.

Baekhyun can't help his jaw dropping in awe. "That's such a useful Trait," he says, feeling like he did as a child when his friends at the time were mastering their Traits. Just as then, a deep sense of jealousy lingers beneath it all. "With a Trait like that, why are you a tailor? Shouldn't you be an athlete, or an adventurer, or even a messenger? Doing this job is such a waste of your skills!"

Jongin looks a little offended for a moment, before shaking his head with a chuckle. "Any job you want to do is never a waste. I'm not interested in the ones you just listed - anyone with my Trait could do them just as well." He finishes writing up the numbers, flipping to a new page and beginning to sketch. "There's more to me than just my Trait, after all. I like the challenge." He turns the page of his book towards Baekhyun, showing him the gorgeous suit he'd just designed from scratch, knowing instinctively how the fabric should fit to highlight Baekhyun's physique mere minutes after meeting him for the first time.

"Amazing," Baekhyun says under his breath, before collecting himself. "You can choose what you want to do, you aren't placed into employment based on your Trait?"

"That's how they do things in Heddyn, isn't it?" Jongin shakes his head, shutting his notebook. "Even though it's such a beautiful country, its customs are so old-fashioned. What was your job, Mr Byun?"

"During thunderstorm season I help my friend form lightning, and in the lower light seasons I provide light for the greenhouses," he starts, before adding more quietly, "for the rest of the year I work on the farms."

Jongin nods, not laughing at him like Baekhyun had expected, instead seeming respectful of his career so far. "Do you enjoy doing any of that?"

He thinks back to standing, alone in the dark nights, converting his own body heat to light for the plants. And he remembers the days his bosses would tell him that a new shipment of oil for the lamps had just arrived from Lumïr, and his services were no longer needed; as well as the relief he'd feel, that he no longer had to stand there doing barely anything, and the guilt that came with dreading the one job he could do himself.

And then there were his sessions with Jongdae. He feels a little useful then, if only to Jongdae, but it ends quickly. They'd spend hours under the cold rain, cracks of the thunder they're making reverberating in their ears. Jongdae absolutely loves it, itches to go back and do it every morning, complains every day they're on the farm, but Baekhyun's never been so passionate. After all, Baekhyun had been given that job through Baekbeom's connections, and is he really in a position to turn them down?

The less said about the farm job the better.

It takes a while, but eventually Baekhyun manages to be honest, shaking his head. Jongin, sat on his bed, crosses his legs and rests his chin on his palm. "Isn't that a waste of your skills?"

"That's a false equivalence. My Trait is practically useless."

"Who said I was talking about your Trait," he laughs dismissively, picking out a few different shades of fabric before approaching Baekhyun. "Anyways, I doubt His Highness would have chosen you if that were the case. Then again," he says, holding the colours against Baekhyun's cheek to test their suitability, "looking at you, I would completely understand if he did."

Baekhyun doesn't know if Jongin's noticed how close they are right now. Instinctively, he holds his breath, wary that any movement could make something happen.

All that happens, though, is that the door opens, and Chanyeol walks in. He's examining some documents in his hands when he briefly looks up, but freezes on the spot when he sees them. For a moment there's a flicker of something in his eyes, before steeling himself back into his practiced indifference.

"Your Highness," Jongin bows to him as if nothing's happened.

Baekhyun swallows down the unease in his throat, a discomfort he doesn't quite understand. The rest of his face seems calm, but there's an intensity in Chanyeol's eyes that makes him shiver. He's suddenly reminded of his semi-nakedness again, reaching to cover himself with his arms.

Jongin nonchalantly gestures between the prince and his fiancé, displaying the hues against Baekhyun's skin and pointing towards his sketch. "I have designed an outfit for the banquet tonight, and I should be able to have it finished in time. All that's left is to figure out the colour that would suit Mr Byun. What do you think, sire?"

Chanyeol quirks an eyebrow. Baekhyun expects him to simply huff, say something about how it doesn't matter to him, or that he has more pressing issues to attend to. But to his surprise, Chanyeol strides over to the notebook, looking between it and the colours a few times, before meeting his gaze directly.

"None of the colours you're holding out," Chanyeol says, and Jongin smiles, lowering his arm. "Make it look like his eyes, if that's possible."

Baekhyun blinks in confusion a few times. He has hazel eyes, pretty standard and characteristic of working-class Heddyn-folk. Blue-bloods of his country are different, their eyes being crystal clear shades of green. To highlight something so mundane is strange, in Baekhyun's view.

"As you wish, sire. I'll have something made for you in a nice complementary beige, both done in a few hours." Jongin bows once again, nodding slightly to Baekhyun, and then leaves briskly.

Baekhyun's eyes trail after him for a moment, before realising that Chanyeol is still staring at him. He pulls the towel up to cover his upper body, making Chanyeol laugh in confusion.

"You were perfectly fine with that complete stranger seeing you like that, but you get shy around your fiancé? I really don't understand you Heddyn-folk."

"He was just doing his job, but you-" Baekhyun starts, but stops himself before he says something he'll be sure to regret. It only just registers in his mind that Chanyeol just referred to himself as his fiancé for the first time.

The prince seems to catch this realisation, a little taken aback by himself as well. "What? That's our official relationship status as of now," he tries to justify his words, clearly flustered. "That's how everyone is going to refer to us from now on, so we might as well get used to it."

Only one of them is sans clothes right now, and somehow it's the fully dressed one who's more embarrassed.

"Turn around," Baekhyun says firmly, and Chanyeol does so. He quickly pulls on the clothes he'd brought with him from Heddyn, before clearing his throat.

"If we're to be fiancés, and eventually married, I would appreciate it if you didn't storm out any time I say something that strikes a nerve in you," he says, watching Chanyeol tense a little. "I don't know what you've been through, and I'm not so nosy that I'm going to ask either. But have patience with me if I say something wrong out of ignorance."

It looks like Chanyeol's thinking for a moment, and Baekhyun worries that he's lost him. Then Chanyeol nods. "I can allow you that. Patience is something I have yet to master, being with you might just help me with that."

He doesn't know if Chanyeol understands how much of a backhanded compliment that is. From his behaviour over the past few days, Baekhyun wouldn't put it past him either way. He decides to shift the conversation back, to claim the upper-hand again. "I'm surprised you noticed the colour of my eyes. You seem so occupied with other matters around here I'm surprised you remembered such a mundane detail."

Chanyeol doesn't flinch. "I remembered them from the marriage meeting," he says completely earnestly, confusing Baekhyun. "It's a common eye colour in Heddyn, but I had never seen it up close until you grabbed my hand that day. My firelight really changes how it looks, I think."

That tension is back again, but this time it's not in Baekhyun's throat, but his gut. He laughs it away, nervously. "I'm sure the only people you mingled with in Heddyn were green-eyed, right?" He stops laughing when he sees Chanyeol's mouth settle into a flat line, realising that he's said something wrong again. "Whatever mistake I just made, I apologise."

The prince shakes his head. "It's my fault. For some reason I thought all of Heddyn would have known the way Lumïr did, but in retrospect I think things were always understood differently here."

Baekhyun doesn't pry despite his curiosity, only follows Chanyeol to breakfast. It's another simple meal, porridge with wild berries and another selection of wheat breads with butter. For a long time they're the only ones at the table, until eventually Yoora shows up, this time not alone.

A baby, perhaps around Baekhee's age or maybe slightly younger, slumbers in her arms. Sitting next to Chanyeol, the similarities in their faces are uncanny.

"This is my son, Yoosung," she whispers. "He takes a while to fall asleep but no time at all to wake up, so please mind your noise."

Baekhyun nods. It's not like he's desperate to initiate conversation anyways, he thinks, dripping a spoonful of honey into his porridge. It's Heddyn honey, he can tell from the familiar taste. He looks up for a second, catching Chanyeol's softened but gently concerned expression when looking at the baby.

"My husband is away on business, but you should be able to meet him later. He's a good man," she smiles, swiping the hair away from Yoosung's face. "I wish he'd get to stay home more often."

There's an indescribable look on Chanyeol's face, Baekhyun notices. It seems he wants to hold the baby, but fears him at the same time. He doesn't bring it up though, just sits there and eats his food. After a moment he turns his attention to Yoora. "Is your husband a royal?"

She shakes her head. "Not a royal, but a high-ranking officer in the Ardientan military. He was often among the royal convoy when the Ardientan princess - our cousin - would visit, and that's how we became acquainted."

"So you didn't need to arrange marriage audi- meetings, then?" Baekhyun asks, eyes flickering to Chanyeol.

"I would have, had it not been for us meeting and him having a strong Trait. Yoosung is the heir after Chanyeol, after all. His development is important for Lumïr's future."

At this surprising news, Baekhyun turns to Chanyeol. "You don't plan on having children?"

Chanyeol looks up at him in confusion. "Unless you have a secret uterus you haven't told us about, no, I don't plan on that."

Sighing, Baekhyun tries to clarify his train of thought. "There were women at the meeting. Had you picked one of them, would that not be an option?"

Now it's Yoora's turn to look confused. "There were women there? You've only ever been interested in men, Chanyeol!" He doesn't reply, and her eyes narrow. "Don't tell me you..."

"Love isn't important when it comes to ruling together," Chanyeol mutters into a cup of tea, brewed no doubt from imported leaves. "All that matters is Trait compatibility. Now if my best match in that department was a girl, then so be it, but I'd have told her upfront not to expect anything more from my side."

Yoora shakes her head in disbelief, setting her spoon down on a saucer. "I seriously can't believe you sometimes. What happened to my sweet little brother?" She looks at Baekhyun apologetically. "I'm sorry he's like this. I don't really know what to say to you."

"It's fine," Baekhyun says, holding his hands up to dismiss his concern. "I didn't enter into this relationship with those kinds of expectations anyway."

She seems a little disappointed with that answer, but doesn't get to dwell on it long as Yoosung begins to squirm awake. "Ah, I think it's time for feeding. If you'll excuse me," she says, standing carefully so as not to upset the infant.

Once she's out of earshot, Chanyeol speaks. "I'm used to the idea of being alone until I die, I've made peace with it. That being said, I understand that this arrangement might not be fair. So in that case," he taps his fingers on the table, staring at them intently. It looks like he's forcing himself to say the words. "If you would like to be in romantic relationships with other people, I won't stop you. But I do ask that you keep it secret, as anything else won't be good for our public image. And," he pauses, thumb kneading between the fingers of his clenched fist. "I'd prefer it outside my own sight as well."

"You're very strange," is all Baekhyun can think to reply. "I don't expect that to be relevant anyway. You're not the only one used to being alone."

They finish the rest of their meal quickly and quietly, and then a litany of staff appear to help clear the table. Baekhyun instinctually goes to help stack the plates, and the staff are clearly surprised by this. They give him a grateful curtsy before taking the dishes off his hands and hurrying away, never making direct eye contact.

Outside, there is a sudden blaring of horns. "It seems Father is here," Chanyeol says as he stands, Baekhyun hastening to follow suit. They wait inside the entrance, and a second later Yoora has joined them, having put Yoosung to sleep already.

Baekhyun does not remember much of what the King of Lumïr looks like. The last time he had seen him was as a child, for a fleeting moment at a parade held to welcome him to Heddyn. He had snuck out of the house to watch the parade despite his father's orders, barely able to catch a few glimpses of the procession as a short child in a large, tall crowd. That had been before the war, when such large displays for foreign royals were still common. He can vaguely remember a tall silver-haired man, broad shoulders and a hard-set jaw, accompanied by a woman nearly as tall, slender and tanned.

The man who enters now seems smaller, the weight of old age heavy on those same broad shoulders, pulling them down around him. A dark wood cane extends from the sterling silver handle in his grip. The woman next to him is a different one, a pale woman not nearly as tall, her hair an ashen grey rather than a pitch black. Deep stress lines age her face beyond her years.

"Father, Lady Yunseo, welcome home," says Yoora, curtseying politely. "Did your travels go smoothly?"

"As much as we could ask for," the woman grins candidly. "Of course, when people realise it's a royal carriage, they tend to start a ruckus outside. It becomes very difficult to have a restful journey in those circumstances, as I'm sure you must know."

Yoora smiles understandingly. The older woman's gaze then shifts, settling on the newcomer with quick intermittent glances at Chanyeol. The king had been staring at the two of them from the moment he walked in.

"Is this him, Chanyeol?" The king speaks for the first time, his voice just as deep as his son's, though slightly gruffer.

Chanyeol nods, looking to Baekhyun who freezes for a moment, before stepping forward, bowing deeply to the couple. "Your Highnesses," he says, the way he'd heard the staff refer to Chanyeol and Yoora up until now. "My name is Byun Baekhyun, from Heddyn. I thank you for the opportunity you've given me."

After not receiving any reply, he eventually straightens up, fearing the worst - did he give such a bad first impression? Instead, the King simply regards him with curiosity before facing his son. "I trust your judgement, Chanyeol, so I will not ask for any kind of demonstration," he places his hand on Chanyeol's shoulder. "Tonight's banquet, however, will be his first introduction to our ministers and dignitaries, and they will not be so lenient. Will you be able to showcase something for them to prove this a worthwhile match?"

The prince doesn't say anything, only nods with his eyes downcast.

His father's eyebrows furrow slightly, before he pats Chanyeol once on the same shoulder. "We shall see you there, then. Both of you," he says, turning to Baekhyun with a genuine smile, the first time he seems to have acknowledged him.

As soon as they're out of earshot, Chanyeol lets out a held breath. Baekhyun doesn't understand this reaction, considering the two regents didn't seem judgemental at all, the opposite in fact. "What's this about demonstrating the Trait," he asks, trying to break the invisible tension in the air.

"Just as Father said," Chanyeol replies, seemingly calmer after a moment to relax. "We have to display our Trait compatibility. It's important to have the ministers and such approve of it, if we want them to trust in our ability to rule."

"They did the same when I was to be wed, it's not a big deal," Yoora pipes in. "From the sounds of it, you already gave a small mini-display of it at the marriage meeting."

Baekhyun feels the embarrassment rush to his face even as Yoora laughs light-heartedly.

Chanyeol doesn't laugh. "Even if it's just a short demonstration, we ought to practice. There's an area outside that we can use, and we have a few hours before the real preparations need to begin." He takes two steps forward, though with his long legs they're equal to three of Baekhyun's. When he doesn't sense anyone following him he stops, looking over his shoulder. "Ready?"

There's nothing Baekhyun can do but nod. It's not like he could spend his time differently anyway, in this land where he knows nothing and no one, in a palace too easy to get lost in; if Chanyeol gives him a trail of crumbs to follow, he'll do so gladly.

He's led out of the palace building to one of the adjoining grounds, with little in the way of features or decoration. "It will be safe to practice here, I think," Chanyeol says, taking his place on the sand lot. He gestures for Baekhyun to stand behind him. Once his fiancé is in position, he takes a deep breath, palms outstretched towards the empty space. Baekhyun can almost see the air in front of his hand get colder; he watches in awe as glittering frosty tendrils extend out from them, reflecting light in the characteristic style of ice. Structures form, diamante roses and crystalline dew. "To be allowed to welcome Winter into the land, absolute control is necessary," Chanyeol says, surprising Baekhyun, adding thorns to the roses like a painter at his easel. He didn't seem like the kind of man who would speak unless absolutely necessary.

Baekhyun feels inclined to listen more because of this, reasoning that Chanyeol wouldn't be mentioning it unless it is important information.

"We of the House Park of Lumïr lend our power to the spirit of Winter itself in that time. Anything wrong could lead to a calamity." He builds another sculpture, a man about his own height, of similar gait and posture, down to details like the buttons on his shirt and the lashes on his lids. "But it is also our duty to aid in the transition of seasons. To send off Winter we too must welcome Spring, just as they do in Heddyn. And that is where you come in," he says, turning towards him. "What you did that day. How did you do it?"

"It's nothing special," Baekhyun says, reaching out to grab Chanyeol's wrist tentatively, feeling the prince hesitate under his fingers. He means it - compared to the skill and control Chanyeol just exhibited, his Trait is not exactly impressive. "I turn one form of energy into another. Without an energy source my Trait is useless," he looks up at Chanyeol. "Make your fire."

After regarding him in silence for a moment, Chanyeol moves his attention to his palm, open and upturned. The easy-going atmosphere is gone now, replaced with tension and concentration. Allowing himself a peek up at Chanyeol's face tells him the man is scared. It takes a second, but Baekhyun begins to feel the invisible heat mere centimetres from his skin. And so he concentrates, and with a spark it comes to light, a flickering white flame dancing in the middle of his palm. It's entrancing for them both.

"What do I do now?" Chanyeol asks.

Baekhyun looks up at him under his eyelashes now, but Chanyeol, even as his hands quiver and his breaths hasten, remains fixated on the flame. After all, this is as if someone had revealed a body part of his to him which he had never seen before, but could always feel. An ever-present phantom limb suddenly made tangible. "What did you want to do?" 

Chanyeol looks at him incredulously. Clearly this is not a question he's been asked much. Regardless, his shaking hand still rises. Baekhyun momentarily loses physical connection with him, making the light disappear, and the prince panics.

"Calm down, calm down Chanyeol," Baekhyun says, grabbing his shoulders, still getting used to his name on his tongue. The prince's whole body has suddenly gone incredibly cold. "See? You handled it by yourself. It's ok, nothing bad is gonna happen."

Still a little dazed, Chanyeol nods. "We need to figure out how to stand though," he says after catching his breath, "so that I still have mobility and I don't hurt you."

It takes several attempts to find something that will work for both of them. Eventually they figure out that the best way is with Baekhyun stood in the front, Chanyeol directly behind him with his hand outstretched. This way Baekhyun is free to hold his wrist, and won't get in the way of his Trait at all.

Chanyeol sighs deeply yet again, gathering his thoughts. Baekhyun can feel his breath on his neck, a little nervous.

A spurt of flames erupts briefly from Chanyeol's hand like air escaping a sealed can, catching even Baekhyun by surprise. It's not a large burst, nor does it last very long, but it would have been enough to hurt someone had they been in the way.

"Make a plan in your head," Baekhyun whispers, a little afraid of shattering his concentration, though keeping his grasp on the prince's wrist steadfast. "Think about what you want to do, and then carry it out."

He half-expects a snarky quip in return, an "easier said than done," but it seems Chanyeol is taking his advice to heart. Baekhyun shifts his head slightly to peer up at the man, whose eyes are closed now, likely visualising a plan. Suddenly they snap open, and there's a certainty in his eyes.

It takes a little while, but the flames twist in smoky wisps just as the ice had before it. White hot, they coil around the frozen sculptures, and, with a tiny flex of Chanyeol's fingers, constrict simultaneously, crushing the ice but melting it at the same time, water droplets falling to the ground at once before settling into crystal clear pools.

Baekhyun peers up at him again. There's a flash of childlike awe in his gaze before it turns into satisfied determination, and he glances down to meet Baekhyun's view. "Again. We need to keep practicing."

As he steps aside and watches the prince create yet more delicate figures, Baekhyun decides to try pushing his luck. "If you don't mind me asking, at what age did your Traits manifest?"

Chanyeol doesn't seem fazed by the question, but that might just be because his attention is elsewhere. "The first was the usual for most single-Trait wielders, around a year old. The second was just after my 10th birthday."

"Royals really are the chosen ones, what with being gifted two Traits and all," Baekhyun says, watching some sort of bird he'd never seen before glide across the afternoon sky, wide white wings casting a fleeting shadow over the earth.

"They may teach you that in Heddyn, but secondary Traits are a mutation, an unstable one at that." He holds the palm carrying the flame forward and outstretched, tugging Baekhyun slightly as he does so they're back in position so abruptly that he ends up a little dazed. "A defect that saddles you with all this responsibility doesn't exactly sound like a perk to me," Chanyeol mutters.

Baekhyun shivers at the man's low voice reverberating in his ears, which he's sure must be turning red, hearing his measured breaths and trying to steady his own. Slowly but surely, the flames in his hand begin to twist and unfurl, wrapping around the ice sculptures he had watched be so meticulously created mere moments ago and instantly reducing them to pools of water, formless and free. "Better to have responsibilities and get all this than be carefree and starving because of it," he rebukes, but it falls on deaf ears. Once again there's that utterly childlike joy in the prince's eyes, something Baekhyun thought he was incapable of altogether.

This goes on for at least a few hours. Baekhyun grows weary quickly, especially in this climate he's not used to and low on sleep already. The prince apparently operates on pure adrenaline, not stopping for a break even once despite working double time, pulling Baekhyun closer with each turn. Eventually, finally, he catches Baekhyun yawning, and the previously missing self-awareness floods back in waves. "Just once more," he says, clearing his throat. "If we just do that exact same thing at the banquet, we should be fine."

"You look good when you smile," Baekhyun says, not really paying much attention as he's just glad it's over. "I wish you'd do it more often."

Chanyeol expects Baekhyun to freeze, to take back what he said or pretend it didn't happen, but he doesn't. Instead those hazel eyes look into his directly, themselves smiling.

"You need to stop frowning all the time, or you'll develop wrinkles at an early age."

Chanyeol is the one to break the eye contact, looking up at the sky. "You need to be careful as well. There's no way for you to know, of course, but to stare into someone's eyes in an unblinking way like that for long enough is the same as marriage in old Lumïrian customs. If you'd have kept going there, we would have been wed."

Baekhyun's mouth blubbers for a moment, like a fish out of water. He fumbles for words, blurring out the first thing to come to mind. "You say Heddyn isn't progressive, but still hold onto archaic customs like that? How is that fair at all?"

"Being married here changes very little in ordinary people's lives, so it works as a simple option for people who wanted the titles without having to go through the process of arranging a ceremony." Chanyeol crosses his arms, smirking softly with a sense of smug superiority. "No officiation necessary. If anything, you of all people should know how useful that would be."

Baekhyun can't deny it, but he doesn't want to lose the argument to Chanyeol either, doesn't want to let him have the satisfaction for whatever reason. He can't help but think he looks better even with a smug smile on his face though, but he's not about to admit that out loud. He decides to take a different route. "What if you change your mind? What if you do that with someone and then realise they're not the one?"

"You're the only witnesses," Chanyeol shrugs. "If you decide you don't want to be married anymore, you simply act like it never happened."

"It's so simple, is it? How valuable is a marriage through that custom, if it can so easily be denied like that?" Baekhyun says, now his turn to be sceptical.

"It allows greater freedom. If your marriage is one youwish to escape, you can. And if you want to enter a marriage," he looks at Baekhyun with pointed conviction, "all that's needed is your own will."

After a pregnant pause, they both break away, giving up their defiant attitudes, returning to practice in silence. Despite the fatigue, it never gets any less mesmerising. The heat rays, now alight, have a strangely fluid quality to them, almost like flowing ribbons moreso than straightforward flames. The more they do it, the more the beams move with purpose. Baekhyun has seen a lot of impressive Traits in his day, but this one is truly captivating in a way only few are.

Soon enough Yoora is calling them back in, to the entrance hall now being decorated by a multitude of servants. "Go upstairs and get dressed now," she rushes them, "your clothes have been delivered." Just as she said, their outfits lay sprawled across Chanyeol's bed, freshly ironed.

The maids are all too busy with arranging the event, and so the two of them have humbly been requested to dress themselves. Baekhyun thinks it's rather ridiculous for them to say that - that is, until he actually tries to wear the garment.

It's some Lumïrian-style piece, the colour of his eyes just as requested and perfectly fitted. The problem comes with the fact that it has to be fastened with a bunch of intricate buttons on his back, of all places. He tries, and fails, to do them up by himself, at which point Chanyeol notices his conundrum.

"Here, let me help you," Chanyeol says, standing behind him once more. He pulls the garment together quite abruptly, leaving Baekhyun a little breathless.

The faint heat of Chanyeol's thumb on the skin of his back sends a shiver down his spine. He tenses up, as does Chanyeol, though maybe their reasons are different. Baekhyun holds his breath, pretending like it's only to help fit the clothes more easily. He feels Chanyeol's knuckles through the fabric of the garment, his stare on the back of his neck.

"Done," Chanyeol speaks coolly. "Will you do mine?"

Baekhyun doesn't meet his eyes but nods anyways, turning around in his place. Chanyeol's back is bigger than his, and more inherently muscular, so more effort is required to pull the beige fabric together past his shoulderblades. Baekhyun manages it with some effort, having to get quite close to him to do so, noticing tiny features in Chanyeol's skin - a mole here, a birthmark there. What appears to be some sort of scar cuts across his spine, though it looks to be several years old. He doesn't bring it up.

He barely gets to say anything before a bunch of maids finally rush in, and by habit he separates himself from the prince. The staff barely seem to notice, however, pulling them both to separate rooms to ready their hair and faces for the event.

"First impressions are important, Mr Byun," says Seulgi, the housemaid whom Baekhyun had asked why all this is necessary. "You are not only a partner for our prince, you will be our co-ruler. The ministers and such must approve of your suitability, through your abilities. The public, on the other hand, will be greatly swayed by your appearance." She spritzes him with some sort of perfume, something surprisingly floral with earthy undertones, once in the front, on the wrists, and behind each ear. "We can help you prepare one of these things, and so we do."

She mists his hair, and Baekhyun watches as she sculpts it into a tamer form. Baekhyun never thought he'd be able to look so pristine, but Seulgi clearly has experience in the field, and she does a damn good job. It's still recognisably himself in the mirror, it's not that she changed him completely - but he looks more refined than ever before.

He's shepherded back into their bedroom to wait, catching brief glimpses of the decorations being hung up in the entrance hall.

So far, the royal experience has consisted a lot of being moved around and waiting. He can hear the maids and butlers scurrying around outside the doors, counting the seconds. Enough time passes, and then suddenly the doors swing open. Chanyeol's back, looking somehow even more handsome than at the marriage meeting.

Baekhyun would feel conscious about staring at him, but then again Chanyeol's staring right back.

Chanyeol clears his throat, breaking their eye contact. "You look good," he says.

"As do you," Baekhyun mumbles, fidgeting with the corner of the pillow next to him.

"Well. We should get going," Chanyeol starts, "most of the guests have arrived by now, and we need to prepare for our entrance." He holds the door open, allowing a sheepish Baekhyun to let himself through.

The entrance hall has been transformed in the course of a few hours. A chandelier that Baekhyun hadn't even noticed when he first got here is now lit up, and those along with lamps positioned around the room refract light around the space. White and purple flowers are tied up and wound around the railings for the staircases. Lavender, daisies, lumines and forget-me-nots - a mixture of flowers from both Heddyn and Lumïr, making Baekhyun wonder when they had the time to import the foreign flowers at such a short notice. A range of officials stand about the room, nearly everyone holding a glass of champagne but hardly anyone taking anything more than cautiously slight sips; as if afraid to lose their sense of decorum while under the influence, at least as the night begins. Baekhyun can't help but empathise, with the knot in his stomach, alcohol would only make him feel worse in this moment.

Chanyeol notices his hands fidgeting from the corner of his eye. "Hey, calm down. You can't look that nervous in front of them the first time you meet them."

"Easier said than done," Baekhyun mutters, getting more and more anxious as the seconds tick by. He wishes dearly that Baekhee could be here.

After he doesn't stop even half a minute later, Chanyeol lets out an exasperated sigh, and reaches for his hand.

Baekhyun's head whips around to stare at him in shock. "What are you-"

"Squeeze as hard as you want. You can release some of your tension through me," Chanyeol replies, looking straight ahead of himself instead of meeting Baekhyun's gaze. "Anyways, it'll be better for us to look like we're in love. It makes us more appealing to the ministers and especially the public."

Not knowing what to say to that, Baekhyun simply says nothing. He doesn't have to ponder in silence for long, though, as their cue comes soon after, and together they descend the stairway, hand in hand.

The eyes of everyone in the room are on them. Baekhyun swallows, mentally apologising to Chanyeol in advance for how sweaty his palms must have become. Despite the size of the crowd, he can see each guest's face with extreme clarity - from awed to envious. Despite his nerves, seeing the effect his mere presence is having on people is strangely thrilling.

He feels a squeeze to his hand, and looks up at Chanyeol, who's giving him a poised but gentle smile, looking like a completely different man. A practised expression of fondness, so good that Baekhyun wonders how many people it had been used on already. Regardless of that, he plays his part, smiling back as genuinely as he can muster as his heart threatens to leap into his throat.

The king, standing at the front of the room, clears his throat, gravitating the attention back to himself with that booming voice of his. "Everyone, I would like to introduce to you the newest addition to the House of Lumïr, betrothed to my son Prince Chanyeol, Mr Byun Baekhyun of Heddyn."

Baekhyun bows as formally as he can, hearing people beginning to whisper among themselves already.

"Byun? Are there any noble households in Heddyn going by that name?"

"Didn't you hear? The prince held an open audition of sorts, not just for nobles but anyone with suitable Traits. This man is a commoner, despite his looks."

"My, I can't wait to see this outstanding Trait of his that made him worthy of a royal household then! Still," the voice of the woman chatting gets so quiet Baekhyun's ears have to strain to hear it, "it's a shame about what happened with Prince Kyungsoo. Their pair was such a beautiful one."

"It was, undeniably," another man comments. "One can't help feeling sorry for Prince Chanyeol."

"Come on," Chanyeol starts suddenly, grip around Baekhyun's hand tightening even as the smile on his face is easy-going as ever. "Let me introduce you to our chief ministers."

Baekhyun lets himself be led around the room, cordially greeting each minister upon meeting but otherwise keeping quiet. Even as this happens, he can feel the eyes of the whole hall on him, judging his every move. His grip around Chanyeol's hand only gets tighter as the evening draws on, and in the odd moments when Chanyeol isn't shaking hands with yet another dignitary, the prince spares him a glance before his attention is once again needed elsewhere.

"Do you remember the First Minister, Baekhyun?"

The man who had been at the marriage meeting along with Chanyeol bows, and Baekhyun nods upon recollection, hastily bowing in return. 

"The name is Kang Dongsuk, Mr Byun." He quickly turns his attention to the prince. "I cannot wait for you to demonstrate your combined Traits to the rest of the ministry today. They truly are quite remarkable," he says, patting Chanyeol on the shoulder. "It will also bring about more confidence in your capability to rule, your Highness," he says.

Chanyeol's lips form a thin line for a split second before returning to a gracious grin, but it's long enough for both the minister and Baekhyun to catch it. "Indeed, I cannot wait to show everyone."

"How exciting," says another man, a tall figure in a military uniform not too different to those of the guards, though decorated with several more medals. Rather than bowing, he salutes the pair once he approaches them.

"This is Kim Eunseok, the Chief Military Officer for Lumïr," Chanyeol says. It's a marvel to Baekhyun how he's able to keep track of so many different officials and all the different positions they hold, let alone doing so with such a charming ease. No wonder people swoon over him all the time, if this is what he's like in public.

"Always so formal, Chanyeol," the army man laughs, a deep rumbling sound that draws everyone's attention for a bit. "I've known Chanyeol since he was barely able to walk. He's just as much my nephew as my own blood one - you can call me Uncle Kim as well, if you'd like."

Baekhyun shakes the man's hand, relaxing a little in the face of what seems to be the first genuine smile of the night.

Everyone is called to dinner in the large banquet hall, and finally Baekhyun sees the kind of lavish excess he had expected coming into a royal household. The light from the high chandeliers reflect starkly off the ornate silver cloches ready to be presented by the servers, themselves in their finest uniform attire, waistcoats and bowties and all. Platters of assorted meats, cheeses, fruits of all kinds completely cover the tables, in stark contrast to the humble offering at the royal's own meals. Baekhyun sits next to Chanyeol again, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all.

"I'd recommend the whitefish," Chanyeol says, clearly noticing how lost he is, and places a plate of delicate looking fish in some kind of creamy white sauce, with a side of potatoes and greens. "It's a bit of an acquired taste, but it's a local delicacy. Fish like that cod there are some of the few food resources we can obtain by ourselves."

Baekhyun takes a bite. It is a strange taste for one not too accustomed to fish, like himself - Heddyn cuisine had always been more partial to chicken and red meat - but it's not unpleasant, especially with the other elements of the dish feeling somewhat familiar. Accompanying these with cranberry-infused cheese, he's able to fill up to the point where he has no room for dessert.

"Not even a bite? You've barely eaten anything, and you're already such a skinny thing," teases Uncle Kim, already on his fifth glass of mulled wine. "Ah, how about you try a bite from the pomegranate pie Chanyeol is eating?"

Baekhyun thinks at this point it's best just to relent or they'll keep pestering him all night. He nudges Chanyeol, to make sure he's heard, but the prince just stares at his plate hesitantly.

"If you don't want to share it that badly then go ahead and eat it," Baekhyun whispers.

Chanyeol covers his eyes with his hand. "It's not that-"

"Come on, Chanyeol, feed him already!" There's a cheer across the table, the ministers now raising their tipsy glasses in a toast. "Ah, Baekhyun, that particular dish is for good luck in marriage. It's a custom from his mother's land for betrothed partners to feed it to each other."

Realising the situation and Chanyeol's reluctance, Baekhyun's eyes widen, only garnering amusement from the crowd.

"If you don't want to, it's fine. I'll tell them to stop pressuring you," Chanyeol mutters near inaudibly among all the ruckus.

Baekhyun truly considers it for a moment. But then, what does he have to lose? If it's customary here, he shouldn't be embarrassed by it. After all, he'll have to follow these customs for the rest of his life. Placing a hand on Chanyeol's arm to draw his attention, he opens his mouth.

Chanyeol is surprised by this, hesitating a bit when the cheers start, but the resolve in Baekhyun's eyes help him make the push. He takes a piece of the pie and pushes it into Baekhyun's mouth, fingers grazing Baekhyun's lips as they retreat. They're soft.

"To the future of Lumïr," the king announces, raising his glass at the head of the table. Chanyeol and Baekhyun raise theirs in acquiescence, mostly glad to have the attention off of them as their hearts thrum in their chests.

The demonstration is to be held outside, to allow a clearer view of the Traits. Chanyeol and Baekhyun stand on the balcony, overlooking the lawn on which the party guests await the spectacle.

"Are you ready?" Chanyeol asks, his breath creating a small puff of condensation in the cold night air. Now they're out of the spotlight, he's dropped both the act and the smile.

Baekhyun nods. Though it's not been very useful in his life, it's not like his Trait has ever failed to manifest properly. They've even practiced together. It'll be fine.

The prince, on the other hand, is very jittery, pacing up and down the room before they're set to begin, Baekhyun watching him from the doorway, moonlight framing him. It's his first time showing his secondary Trait like this in public; after all, he'd only properly seen it himself for the first time recently.

"I won't tell you to calm down," Baekhyun says, which makes Chanyeol pause. "But I will say that I'm here now, so you can see your Trait. You'll be fine, I know it."

"I don't understand you," Chanyeol says, brows furrowing. "You were so nervous before, when all we were doing is talking to people. And now that we have to perform for those same people, you're suddenly so brave?" He takes his place on the balcony as the blare of the trumpets signal the start.

"Was all that talk from you earlier not performance?" Baekhyun asks, just loud enough for Chanyeol to hear it at their proximity. "For me this is the easy part."

The fanfare ends, and Chanyeol takes a deep breath in, closing his eyes and concentrating. As before, frozen tendrils extend from his hands, creating sculptures of shimmering ice and frost mid-air, however these dissipate into glistening snowflakes before descending to the ground, onto the crowd who watch on in awe. After a while doing this, he takes an ever-so-slight step back, just enough for Baekhyun to slide in between him and the balcony railing.

Baekhyun can feel the press of his firm figure against his back, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathes, which he'd only heard in their bedroom the previous night, and longed to feel. Baekhyun times his own breathing with Chanyeol's as he clasps his wrist now. He's a little surprised when Chanyeol holds his other hand with his spare, obscured from the view of the onlookers, like a child scared to jump into a lake for the first time. Baekhyun doesn't mind it though, squeezing to try and reassure him. They're even now.

Slowly but surely, Chanyeol begins to channel that heat through his arm and into his fingertips. Baekhyun feels it surging through his pulse point, concentrating his own energy there too. Both their eyes stay closed for the first few seconds, but the gasps of wonder from the crowd confirm to them that they've succeeded. Slowly, they allow themselves to observe their own display. Beams of focused white-hot flames twist and twirl through the midnight air like exotic dancers, unwavering even through the steady breeze.

The crowd bursts into rapturous applause. With their positions, he can't see him, but based on the dazzled expressions of some of the young men and ladies of the court, he guesses Chanyeol is probably smiling now.

Suddenly a scream pierces the sound of celebrations.

The flames fizzle out immediately as the two stop, breaking apart to look over the edge, trying to figure out what's happening. A man of middle age, dressed in staff clothes but with an unfamiliar face, is being held back by multiple guards. A woman clutches her neck, gasping for breath as she's surrounded by others trying to help.

"Stay here. I'll try to find out what's going on," says Chanyeol, running off and leaving Baekhyun alone before he has the chance to protest.

He continues to watch from the balcony, as Uncle Kim helps the woman to her feet, incredibly concerned. After assuring she's okay, the military man turns to the assailant. The guards fall away, allowing him to lift the relatively scrawny man high off the ground with ease, clearly a part of his Trait.

Baekhyun has to strain to hear what's being said, but he can just about make out something being said about the war, of surrender, and retribution. The attacker does not answer many questions though, seemingly passing out not too far into the interrogation.

"Mr Byun," a female voice behind him says, making him jump. "Sorry, I startled you. It's only me," says Seulgi, bowing in apology. "His Highness has asked me to escort you to your room. The festivities are over for tonight."

Baekhyun waits in the room alone. He'd asked Seulgi to help him with the buttons of his outfit before letting her go, changing into the more comfortable silk nightclothes that had been tailored for him too. He keeps the oil lamp on, sitting in bed with his knees up to his chest. He doesn't like being out of the know, the suspense keeping him up at an hour he'd rather be asleep.

Eventually Chanyeol returns, a little surprised to see Baekhyun still awake. "The assailant had disguised himself as a staff member and infiltrated the banquet. We don't know what his full intentions were, but he attacked Mrs Kim, the wife of Kim Eunseok, our CMO."

"No wonder he looked so concerned," Baekhyun says, trying to digest all the information he's just been given. "Is she ok?"

He nods. "The guards were able to catch him before he did anything really serious. Unfortunately he passed out during questioning, so we haven't been able to identify him as of yet. He's under arrest now, though, so we should know his motivations by morning, hopefully."

Baekhyun ponders it all. It's quite a convoluted plot, and the man hardly seemed equipped to carry out some daring scheme either. Chanyeol looks similarly confused, but also incredibly tired. "I'm sorry your first time showing your Trait ended like this," Baekhyun decides to change the subject somewhat.

Chanyeol laughs, shaking his head. "No, I'm sorry your first full day in Lumïr had to end like this. Some first impression that must have been, right?"

Baekhyun gives him a wry smile, shaking his head. "The food was good, the music too. Introductions got a little boring, but I guess that comes with the territory."

"Trust me, a month in this palace and you'll be sick of introducing yourself." He starts to take off his clothes, and Baekhyun stands to help him with his buttons without a second thought. "That being said, after tonight's display I think everyone here will remember you name just fine."

This makes Baekhyun's fingers freeze for a while, but enough buttons have been undone for Chanyeol to slip the shirt off. The light of the oil lamp bounces off his bare back, shadows cast in the dips of his shoulderblades and the small of his back. Baekhyun wonders how hot his skin is to touch right now, but suppresses the thought as quickly as it comes, tucking himself into his own bed. 

Once again the night is sweltering. Baekhyun resolves to confront Chanyeol about this the next day before the fatigue overwhelms him.

♤

Yet again he's alone when he wakes up. For a royal not yet on the throne, Chanyeol sure wakes up early every day, Baekhyun thinks to himself. He gets himself ready, finding pressed clothes hanging in the wardrobe he'd been given, and makes his way down for breakfast.

Chanyeol is the only one up so far, reading something out of a bound brown book.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Baekhyun says, taking his seat next to Chanyeol.

"Mhm," Chanyeol says, not looking up from his book.

"Why do you keep the temperature in our room so hot at night? Surely you can't actually find that comfortable."

Chanyeol stops mid-range turn, looking Baekhyun up and down quickly. "What happened to not asking questions?"

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, crossing his arms as he leans back in his chair. "If it's only about you and your past, I won't ask. But the state of the room has me sweating gallons every night. It's gross, and if there's some kind of reason for it I'd like to know so we can come up with a solution."

After a deep sigh, Chanyeol closes his book and places it on the table. "When I was younger, I had a tendency to manifest my secondary Trait subconsciously in the middle of the night when I'd feel cold, which could be quite dangerous. That's how I got the scar on my back," he says. He had been fully aware that Baekhyun had spotted that last night, it seems. "So now I just make sure I won't get cold, so that doesn't happen."

"I think you're overcompensating for a problem that no longer exists," Baekhyun reasons with him. "I'm sure you've grown out of that the same way children grow out of bedwetting."

Chanyeol scoffs. "You can't compare those two things - this Trait is far more dangerous-"

"Ahem," a gruff voice clears its throat from across the room. Chanyeol rises to his feet immediately as the king approaches the table, Baekhyun following suit. "Sit down, sit down. There's no time for pleasantries, we have important matters to discuss."

The pair take their seats in silence.

"About yesterday's events," he says, pushing up his glasses and addressing his son specifically, "I've received word that the intruder was from an anti-peace insurgent group who wish for a return to war."

Chanyeol's eyes narrow. "Do we know where the group is from?"

The king shakes his head. "He won't reveal the details of who sent him, and his Trait is generic. There's no way to tell whether he's from Vitríl, or if he's a local. Either way, it does not matter - we are being sent a message." A maid enters to set down some tea before him with her eyes averted, and he thanks her silently with a nod. "Tell me, Chanyeol, what do you believe we should do in this situation?"

"We can't allow them to affect our plans, so we continue as normal while further investigating the in the background."

"Hm," the king sips at his tea, gesturing at Baekhyun suddenly. "What do you think?"

Baekhyun did not expect to be put on the spot like this, so he stutters a while before finding some sort of answer. "My kingdom was not involved in the war, so I don't know how relevant my opinion will be," he starts with a disclaimer, buying himself some time, "but as a civilian, if this kind of thing continues there could be dangerous repercussions. If there's a chance this group is homegrown, it's important to find out the attitudes of the locals towards these mindsets."

The king's eyebrows perk up. "A very good idea," he says, gesturing to Chanyeol whose mouth is hanging open. "Maybe a sort of reconnaissance mission is in order."

The king retires back to his room after finishing his tea. Apparently he stays mostly confined to his room these days, so the fact that he ventured out to talk to them meant this issue really is quite serious.

"How did you come up with that idea?" Chanyeol says, still stunned from earlier - and a little jealous he didn't think of it himself.

Baekhyun shrugs. "It's kind of normal in Heddyn for guards to be around in public places and relating their findings back to the royal court. We're used to it."

"I've said it a thousand times, but Heddyn is such a strange place," Chanyeol shakes his head. "I don't enjoy the idea of spying, but if it's the only way to find out what my people really want, you're right." He pulls a tiny diary out of the inside pocket of his blazer, through pages. "We have a month until Winter Solstice, but they may act again during this time, so we mustn't hesitate. I'll arrange for a section of the guards to go undercover."

"A month," Baekhyun ponders. He knows the Winter Solstice must be a big deal here in Lumïr, the way Dayfull is in Heddyn; it's the day the kingdom welcomes its ruling spirit, after all. There will probably be some kind of ceremony to be carried out on that day, though he can't guess what it would entail for the life of him. "What will we do for this next month, then?"

Chanyeol stares at him blankly. "I'll be carrying out my royal duties as usual, and you..." He looks like he's trying to come up with something, but keeps falling short. "I guess you can just relax until then."

Baekhyun is about to protest, but Chanyeol is already being summoned away by his father. He sighs. Yes, the last few days had been a whirlwind, and he'd barely gotten the chance to stop for a breath, but he certainly doesn't need a whole month to recover. At least back in Heddyn he had work to do, however menial, and friends to keep him company.

He retires to the bedroom after finding some stationery and begins to write. One letter for the household, and one for Jongdae, telling them about the wild ride he's just been on. He makes sure to leave out any mention of the attacker though, instead replacing that with I miss you all and wish you were here. The homesickness had been an ever-present thing, but now that he's alone, the twisting feeling in his gut has transformed into an all-out sucker punch.

With a simple request, the letters get sent out for him. In Heddyn, he'd at least have had to walk out to the post office, but even that chore has been taken from him.

Chanyeol isn't back for lunchtime, but Yoora attends, at least. "There goes my brother, leaving you all alone again." She tuts with disappointment. "I know it must feel like he only cares for your Trait, but I'm sure he'll get better at this all soon."

He spends most of the day in the library, perusing the impressive number of books on the shelves. Baekhyun had rarely seen Chanyeol without one in hand, bookmarked or held with his fingers in between the pages where he left off. There's so much choice that it's overwhelming, honestly; he wouldn't know where to start no matter how long he considered it. In fact he takes so long to deliberate that he's narrowed his options down to 15 books when the bell for dinner chimes.

Chanyeol's back, along with two other young men, both well-built in stature and quite handsome themselves. One Baekhyun recognises as Minseok, the guard who had accompanied Chanyeol to his home in Heddyn, but the other man is a stranger. To his surprise, Yoora, upon seeing the man, rushes into a sudden embrace with him, something seemingly characteristic for her. The man holds her too, kissing her forehead. Chanyeol looks slightly uncomfortable.

"Baekhyun, I'd like to introduce you to Lee Seungil, Lumïr's minister for foreign affairs," she links arms with him, leaning her head on his shoulder, "and also my husband."

He holds out his hand, smile a dazzling pearly white. "Pleasure to meet you, Baekhyun," he says, shaking his hand. "How has Lumïr been treating you so far? I'm sure there's been some culture-shock for you already - I certainly had some when I first got here."

Remembering Yoora mentioning that her husband is Ardientan, Baekhyun feels genuine comfort knowing there's someone in this palace who he can somewhat relate to. "Yes, it's definitely different than what I'm used to."

He chuckles. "I can imagine. Even though the seasons they control flow into each other, I would actually say Lumïr and Heddyn are the two kingdoms which have the least in common. But I'm sure you'll learn with time, all of us do."

They all take a seat, as does the guard, yet another thing Baekhyun doesn't expect. He had noticed how he would sometimes call Chanyeol simply by his first name when in private, but hadn't given it much thought at the time. But now it begged to be asked.

Chanyeol seems to sense his confusion, twirling some pasta around his fork aimlessly. It's an Ardientan recipe recommended by Seungil himself. "Minseok is a childhood friend of mine. He's also our CMO's nephew."

Now that he says it, Baekhyun sees the resemblance immediately. "Were you raised in the military?"

"Sort of," Minseok says in a sing-song kind of way. "My father was the CMO before my uncle, but my mother mostly tried to shield me from that world. And then the war took them both," he mentions it in passing, as if it were as trivial a detail as the colour of one's socks on any given day. "Since then, my uncle and his wife have raised me."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Baekhyun stammers, genuinely apologetic for bringing it up.

"No worries, no worries," he laughs, quickly chewing through a spoonful laden with pasta. "You ask almost any household in Lumïr, and damn near every one will have lost at least one person in the war, if not more."

He says it so casually, but there's pain buried in his voice. A deep sense of tragedy pervades the air of Lumïr, and it just never seems to leave.

"By the way, I'm sorry I couldn't attend the banquet the other day," Seungil pipes in, cutting right through the tension with ease. "From what I've heard, everything went exceedingly well, aside from the unfortunate incident at the end of the party."

"So, you've been filled in," Chanyeol cuts to the chase immediately. "I'm guessing you know why I've arranged this talk."

Seungil's brow perks up in a questioning manner. "Let me guess, you want me to reach out to my contacts in Ardienta and Vitríl to see if they know anything about this?"

"If possible, yes," Chanyeol responds straightforwardly." But don't be too specific about it. They don't need all the details, at least for the time being."

Seungil can't stop a wry smile. "Understood," he says, tapping his fingers on the table. "Are you not interested in reaching out to Heddyn about this?"

"They're not relevant to the criminal's motivations," Chanyeol explains without a moment's hesitation.

Seungil's expression morphs into something along the lines of sympathetic. "Look, Chanyeol, I know your history with Heddyn isn't the greatest, but now," he spares Baekhyun a glance mid-sentence, plenty of weight packed into that one brief moment, "but now they're part of your future too. So you can't be so wary about them."

"Speaking of," Yoora interjects, having been carefully eavesdropping throughout the conversation so far. "I can't believe you abandoned your fiancé for the entire day today, Chanyeol! Where are your manners?"

Chanyeol stares at her like she's grown another head. "I had business to attend to. It's pretty clear that I'm going to be taking father's place as the active regent soon enough."

"The both of you will be," she says, pointing between the two of them. "Baekhyun is new in this kingdom, knows nothing of its ways, and you expect him to be able to rule within a few months if you leave him in the palace all alone?"

"Then why don't you teach him," Chanyeol returns in an unexpectedly bratty tone. They are siblings after all, Baekhyun thinks.

"He's your fiancé, not mine. And you are the future ruler, not me," Yoora's eyes narrow. "I'm doing my part, raising the future heir. You need to learn to face your responsibilities as well, Chanyeol."

Her words are clearly intended to sting, to the point where even Baekhyun feels it. Chanyeol's expression doesn't shift, but his gait does, and he eats the rest of his meal in silence. Minseok and Seungil look between each other, and then apologetically at Baekhyun, before returning to the meal themselves. Baekhyun wonders if this kind of thing is a regular occurrence here.

Having done very little all day and being relatively well-rested the previous night, Baekhyun decides to wait on returning to the bedroom for a while yet, even as dusk falls. The ambience of the palace is completely different at night - the way the paintings adorning the walls seem to shimmer with the lights from the lamps illuminating them, as if to protect them from the dark. He follows the paintings, watches as they skip around time periods like it's nothing; a Park family ancestor of 340 years ago shares wall space of what seems to be Chanyeol and Yoora's grandmother.

There are paintings of non-Lumïrians too, probably those marrying into the family over generations, bringing with them their culture and heritage. Beautiful men and women from Heddyn, Ardienta, and even Vitríl, if you look far back enough. Baekhyun can never imagine himself in a portrait up on these walls, doesn't even think to make the comparison.

He keeps walking, examining each painting casually he reaches one which is somehow simultaneously foreign and familiar.

"Our mother," Yoora surprises him, emerging from the shadows and cradling a sleepy Yoosung in her arms. Anticipating his yelp, she already has a finger to her lips, and he complies. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Baekhyun takes a moment to calm down, and then nods. The woman in the painting stares down at him, with kind dark eyes and sunkissed skin and flowing tresses the thickest black he'd ever seen. Even just through an artist's interpretation of her, she is simply captivating. He had guessed it already, so when Yoora tells him she was Ardientan, it comes as no surprise. "What was she like?"

"She was the most brilliant woman you'd ever meet," Yoora says, her eyes shining. "She was the sole princess of Ardienta, before she married Father, but not a sheltered one. She loved music, and stargazing, and reading. Half the books in our library were requested by her." Her gaze shifts down to the lower half of the painting, where her and her brother sit well-behaved next to their mother. "She was quite strict with us, but she was loving. She was always especially close with Chanyeol. He was born premature, and she barely survived that day either, so naturally she fawned over him a bit more than me, the problem-free baby." She laughs, shifting Yoosung on her shoulder. "I was always jealous of him back then, but I think I understand how she felt now."

Baekhyun wonders what the man he knows now was like back then. He examines the portrait, sees a small, innocently grinning boy clinging to his mother's side - a world away from the jaded man he'd met, whose smiles always seemed to be tinged with a little regret. Had it not been for the ears, Baekhyun might not even be able to recognise him.

The unspoken question hangs in the air. Baekhyun dares not ask it, but Yoora seems to know, and answers anyway. "She passed away during childbirth, about a year after Chanyeol's fire Trait manifested. After what happened with Chanyeol's delivery and considering mother's age, the physicians had advised against the pregnancy, but they needed another child, one whose secondary Trait was less dangerous." Her grip around Yoosung firms slightly. "Neither our mother nor our youngest sibling survived. Not long after, Father left to lead the war effort, and then it was just me and Chanyeol."

Baekhyun tears himself away from the painting to look at her, expecting her to be crying, but she's not. Instead of tears, there's a fiery passion in her eyes, just like her mother.

"I don't want you to blame my father. My mother wasn't the kind to bend to the wishes of men blindly. At the time, seeing their little boy getting hurt so often, so scared of himself all the time, I don't blame them for not seeing the man he'd become one day, the one you and me know now." Yoosung grumbles slightly in his sleep, and Yoora rubs his back, trying to soothe him.

Baekhyun thinks she's got this analysis wrong - to him, the prince does often seem scared. But then again, his sister had known him much longer than he had, so he holds his tongue.

"Chanyeol didn't speak to Father for a whole year after his return, and things got even worse when he wedded Lady Yunseo, even though that was simply a matter of custom." She sits on the stair, careful that her dress is positioned in just the right way beneath her that it won't crease. "As he got older and understood a bit more, that hatred he used to have for father started to turn in on himself."

"If you understand all this about him, why are you so harsh on him," Baekhyun asks before he realises what he's saying, instantly regretting the words as soon as they leave his mouth.

Yoora, however, doesn't seem offended. "I guess it's like you said before. You can only be hurt by people you love." Her dainty fingers rub tiny circles into Yoosung's back. "I only seem harsh because he actually values my opinions, and someone needs to be there to criticise him." She turns, heading off with smooth, brisk steps. "It's when my words stop stinging him that we'll truly be in trouble."

Even if Baekhyun could think of something to say in this moment, Yoora is already out of earshot. Taking one last look at the portrait, he quickly retraces his steps, still unsure of the layout of this place. When he finally makes it, he's greeted by the sight of the other Park sibling, large frame casting shadows against the wall, reading by lamp light just as his mother probably did in her youth.

"You sure took long enough," Chanyeol mutters, never looking up from his page. "We'll tour Lumïr starting from tomorrow. It's important for you to get a feel for the land and the people, after all."

Knowing his opinion isn't needed here, Baekhyun simply offers an affirmative before getting in bed. Yoora knows her younger brother after all, knows exactly what to say to get the outcome she wants. And Chanyeol, who had seemed rigid and immovable to Baekhyun at least, may be more malleable than previously believed.

The temperature of the room tonight feels maybe a few degrees cooler than usual, but that might just be Baekhyun's imagination.

♤

The next day comes, and immediately things feel different. For one, he's not alone - Chanyeol is still in the room, getting dressed in the kind of attire he'd never be seen in as a royal. Once he notices both Baekhyun's state of waking and the incredulous look on his face, he shrugs. "Did you think I could really show you around dressed like I usually do?" He points at some common-looking clothing on the end of his bed. "Wash yourself up, and then get into those."

And so he does just that. These new clothes are a lot more like what he's used to wearing back home, a classic work shirt and some worn denim trousers, though the fit here is immaculate.

Chanyeol's outfit is somewhat similar, perfectly fitting for him too. His face, though, foils any attempt to not stand out.

"People are still going to recognise your face," Baekhyun mutters, pulling the clothes onto himself under the sheets.

"We've made arrangements for that," is all Chanyeol says, but doesn't elaborate despite the puzzled look Baekhyun gives him.

Once they're dressed and downstairs, Yoora spots them from the breakfast table, taking note of their attire. "Glad to see you're following my advice!" Her tone is jovial again, as if last night didn't happen.

It seems they're not going to eat in the palace, and Chanyeol has already disclosed as much to the kitchen staff. Instead they wait in the entry hall in silence, until a vaguely familiar woman walks in through the front door. In a pastel dress suit, heels clicking across the marble floor, she approaches them. "Your Highness," she smiles, curtseying.

"Mrs Kim, thank you for coming at such short notice. I hope you're well after the incident of the night before last," he says, language substantially more formal than usual.

Being able to put a name to a face, he realises this is General Kim's wife, the lady he had observed from a distance being attacked. She does not seem overly fazed by this however, the way he expects a woman of her standing to be.

"You underestimate me, sire! I have my own experience on the battlefield, don't forget."

Chanyeol turns to Baekhyun now. "Madame Kim's Trait is the ability to mask people's appearances temporarily. As you can guess, she's an invaluable asset when it comes to espionage."

"But in this peacetime my job has mostly consisted of disguising members of House Park when they would like to leave the palace secretly. Her Highness the Princess especially, while she was being courted by Mr Lee," she laughs to herself coyly, hand covering her mouth. "Now, should we begin?"

Chanyeol nods, and Baekhyun watches as the lady removes her gloves, covering Chanyeol's entire face with her hands. She keeps her eyes closed throughout the process, clearly channelling some kind of unseeable energy, and when she releases him with a sharp exhale, Baekhyun is stunned to see a stranger standing before him.

Focusing on each feature individually, there are only minute changes - a slight increase in width of the nose, a less prominent jawline, a lowered cheekbone. Even the colours of his eyes are different, a blue Baekhyun had noticed in the other staff, the telltale sign of a commoner. Considering the features all together though, and the man before him is unrecognisable.

"Remarkable, isn't it," Chanyeol's same deep voice emerges from this stranger's mouth, and Baekhyun can't help finding this Trait incredibly disturbing. "She's even able to provide us with a new one every time!"

She approaches Baekhyun now, hands ready.

"No offense meant to you, ma'am," he blubbers, "but I don't understand why I need a disguise. The public don't even know who I am."

"They will, soon enough," she says with a smile, "and we can't have word spreading about a future ruler being seen galivanting around Lumïr with a man who isn't the Prince, now can we, Mr Byun?"

She makes a good point, and looking at Chanyeol's face, it doesn't look like he's going to be able to weasel his way out of this. Still a little hesitant, he allows Madame Kim to get to work.

It's a strange sensation - almost as if there's a paper-mâché cast of his face being made in this instant. He realises that it's not an alteration of his features, but very literally, a mask being used to hide them.

Once she pulls away, she pores over his face, examining her work. "I must apologise, I was not able to conceal your eye colour. I'm not used to working with Heddyn-folk, you see," she bows apologetically.

"It's not a problem. You've done a fantastic job, Madame Kim," Chanyeol assures her.

"You're too kind, your Highness," she says, putting her gloves back on. "Of course you are aware of the rules, but I'll repeat them for the benefit of Mr Byun. This masking can last a maximum of a week, however it is not impervious to damage. Direct contact with excessive heat or friction will cause tearing and unnatural distortion. So do please be careful."

They are simple enough rules, Baekhyun thinks. The duration of the Trait is overwhelming to him though - it seems that wherever he turns in Lumïr, everyone he meets has some kind of superpowered Trait he had never seen before.

Porters emerge from within the palace mere seconds after Madame Kim takes her leave. They place some medium-sized leather suitcases in front of them.

"Wait, how long is this trip going to be?" Baekhyun asks.

"At the moment, the plan is a week. That will allow us to cover most of the city and a few important sites on the outskirts."

"So we're going to have to stay in these disguises for a whole week?" Baekhyun doesn't try to hide his discomfort.

"I know it's not ideal," Chanyeol sighs, "but it's our only option. This is an important learning exercise for you."

Baekhyun can't think of a reply, so he waits in silence until eventually Minseok arrives, looking at the both of them, slightly disconcerted. "I will never get used to that Trait of hers."

He leads them out of the palace, but instead of the main gates, they covertly make their way towards a secret exit to the side of the lot, obscured by hedges and only visible to the trained eye. Having to turn sideways to slip through, Baekhyun sucks in his breath for the tight squeeze. A plain wooden carriage awaits them on the dirt road outside, nothing like the one he'd arrived on. There are no curtains to conceal the view either, and the seats inside are padded with battered leather in place of plush velvet.

Minseok joins them in the van, corner of his lip raising in amusement as he sees the two of them take their places on opposite ends. He very ostentatiously sits right next to Baekhyun, looking up at Chanyeol with hopes for some kind of reaction, but all Chanyeol does is roll his eyes, leaning his hand in his palm to stare out of the window as they stir into motion.

"He is so boring," Minseok says to Baekhyun, "if I'm honest, I feel sorry for you. You seem like a good guy, but you've ended up with someone like him. Shame."

"He's not so bad," Baekhyun laughs a little awkwardly, gaze flicking to Chanyeol only to see him not paying attention. "I mean, he's never been cruel or mean, at least not yet. And well," he tries to figure out his words, "I guess I wasn't expecting a Prince Charming since our first meeting, anyways."

There's a pause for a moment as Minseok processes what he's just heard, and suddenly he breaks into uproarious laughter. "Oh man," he says, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "That was the funniest shit I've heard in a while. You're a funny guy, Baekhyun. Too bad you're stuck with that teacher's pet."

Feeling a little bad, Baekhyun decides to try and change the subject. "So what exactly will this tour involve?"

Minseok sees clear as day what he's doing, but rolls with it anyway. "Our first few days we'll visit the representative areas for each of Lumïr's main industries. After that we'll be visiting the noteworthy historical landmarks as well."

Baekhyun takes a mental note of these things, wishing he had brought some kind of notebook with him to record all of this information - but then again, that might make him stand out a little too much.

The journey is a long one, but it's the first time Baekhyun is allowed to see the city, the capital of the kingdom he will soon jointly rule. He still can't quite wrap his head around the concept; the men and women bustling by the carriage without a second glance, on their way to work a busy day and maybe earning enough just for food and perhaps one garment per month, are they not more like him than the royals and nobles he's been conversing with ever will be? That, outside, is the world he knows; the palace feels even more exotic now, given context.

Eventually the crowd dies down somewhat as they pass through what he assumes is the city centre. Roads become bumpier as the day marches on. Minseok fills up the time with small talk, and questions about Heddyn. Chanyeol, on the other hand, barely seems able to stay awake, eyes drifting closed only to blink awake again with a jolt, as his whole body shudders and Minseok stifles laughter. He had already had everything planned out that morning in such short notice, Baekhyun thinks. He wonders how much earlier Chanyeol must actually wake up than he does.

"Seriously? They use manure for that?" Minseok says, completely unfazed by the subject matter as he takes a large bite into the tuna sandwiches that had been packed for their lunch. Chanyeol gives him a disgusted look through his own mouthful of food. "What? I've never seen a potato being grown in real life before. Whenever we went to Heddyn we only ever went to the palace."

"No, you have," Baekhyun corrects him. "That day you came to tell me about his proposal. The stems in the farm that day are potatoes you will one day eat."

"Really?" Minseok says, genuine fascination abound. "I didn't realise they grow underground. I guess it only makes sense though, with the fertility of Heddyn soil after all." He finishes his sandwich, kissing his fingers free of crumbs. "But that day surely is memorable. You and your friend, that Jongdae you speak of, were so taken aback by the announcement that I was worried I had the wrong person."

"I still sometimes wonder that," Baekhyun laughs just as their carriage bounces over a particularly large bump, making him slide unceremoniously into the royal guard.

"You alright," Minseok asks, steadying him. As soon as he's back to normal, he's checking to see if Chanyeol has reacted at all. He seemingly hasn't. "Oh come on, these are the kinds of things you're supposed to be doing, not me! Baekhyun was quite right saying you're no Prince Charming, not anymore."

Those last two words stick in Baekhyun's ears for some reason, but the way Chanyeol's jaw clenches prevents him from enquiring what they mean. The rest of the journey is completed in uncomfortable silence, and Baekhyun allows himself a quiet sigh of relief once they finally get to disembark. Dusk is beginning to settle over the horizon, and the distinct tang of ocean spray in the air hits Baekhyun all at once.

There is only one beach in Heddyn, at the very edge of the border with Ardienta. Baekhyun had only been there once, and so he had made sure to burn those memories into his mind, not knowing if he'd ever travel so far from home again. The sand had been warm and fine to the touch, the ocean a brilliant cerulean. Palm and coconut trees lay scattered along the coast, a soft breeze flitting through their leaves.

Lumïr's beach and ocean is nothing like that.

Angry waves crash over pitch black rocks, jagged and irregular. There seems to not be any sand at all, only stone and the occasional weed rising up between the cracks somehow. Grey slate lines the so-called beach upon which the fishing boats, returning from a long day at sea, begin to dock. The boats are old and wooden, and it's a wonder they're able to survive the mid-sea battering at all.

To Baekhyun's surprise, both men and women disembark, hauling heavy sacks over their shoulders, skin wet with saltwater. In Heddyn a woman would never be allowed to do such laborious work - yet another way Lumïr makes his home country feel regressive.

"We'll be sampling the catch at the market tomorrow morning," Chanyeol says, breaking his silence of several hours, and making Baekhyun jump. "We'll be staying in an inn for the night."

The establishment is fairly modest, definitely not something fit for royalty, but not lacking either. The three of them will be sharing a large room made for boarders, with three separate beds. They are acting the role of merchants, after all, and this room setup lends believability to their lie.

"This must be strange for you both, right? Not sharing a bed after a week," Minseok snarkily remarks, wiggling his brows.

Neither try to tell him the truth, indifference on Chanyeol's end and embarrassment on Baekhyun's.

Thankfully due to the conditions of their disguises and the desire to not draw attention to themselves, they get to sleep at a comfortable room temperature, rather than the sweltering heat Chanyeol prefers at home. "Don't get me started on that," Minseok groans when Baekhyun mentions it in passing while Chanyeol is in the shower. The moon, actually visible out here where the air is clear, basks one side of his face in its light. "It used to be absolute torture during sleepovers when we were younger."

"What was he like, back then," Baekhyun asks without thinking, blushing as Minseok gives him a knowing grin.

"Well," he says, grin softening into a delicate smile. "He was very different, but in many ways the same. He'd always be rambling on and on about what he'd do as king, the changes he'd make so that people's lives would be different. He loves his kingdom and his people very much, even now, but he was more open about it back then." He stares out of the window, watching clouds cast shadows. "And then the war came. There was still a little hope in him even then, I think, but his mother's passing changed everything overnight." He leans back in his bed, and Baekhyun is unsure if he's talking to him anymore, or just himself. "Sometimes I still see the old him in there. But I think he gave up on himself that day." He pauses, then chuckles. "Until you came along."

"I think you're overestimating what he actually sees in me," Baekhyun remarks.

"I've known him my whole life, Baekhyun," Minseok counters. "I know how he gets when he starts to care about someone."

"Like Prince Kyungsoo, right," he says, just as the door opens. Chanyeol clearly heard him take the name of Heddyn's prince, his supposed ex-betrothed, but instead of acting strangely he just retreats to his bed on the other side of the room.

Minseok had showered first, so now it's Baekhyun's turn, and he's glad to leave the room even for a short while. The water at this time of night is cold, and it leaves his teeth chattering as he dries off.

He expects to walk back in to the middle of a conversation, instead seeing Chanyeol reading yet another book, and Minseok examining a map. There's no talk, but it's not tense at all - the comfortable silence of close friends.

Minseok acknowledges him with a nod when he walks in. Chanyeol looks at him briefly before returning to his book, though this is a lot more than he would have done even a few days ago. Regardless, Baekhyun still can't let himself believe what Minseok had said; trauma or not, no one acts so cold to the person they like.

For once the sleep is a deep one. It's not so dark out here by the sea, and of course the cool air is much easier to sleep through. The exhaustion of several nights of insufficient rest pushes down on Baekhyun, and soon enough he's knocked out cold.

♤

He wakes up freezing.

The air by the sea is especially cold in the morning, even with the windows closed and being wrapped up in his duvet. He exhales, a condensation cloud misting up the air above him.

"You're up," Minseok whispers. Baekhyun doesn't understand why until he hears the soft breathing of the sleeping prince. Noticing the confusion on Baekhyun's face, he stifles a laugh. "You barely got any sleep in that heat for a week, right? Take that and multiply it by months." He flicks his head slightly towards Chanyeol.

"Why does he keep doing that to himself," Baekhyun whispers back, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"I told you. He gave up on himself years ago."

Baekhyun ponders this for a while as the sun slowly rises over the horizon. After about half an hour, Chanyeol stretches awake. Realising he's the last to wake up, he looks a little angry, but doesn't say anything out loud.

They decide to get breakfast at the market itself, and so head there immediately. As soon as they arrive, the pungent stench of masses of freshly caught fish roll over them in waves, overpowering all other senses. Chanyeol and Minseok, despite wincing on first contact, are used enough to this that they compose themselves well enough. Baekhyun, on the other hand, might need a little longer.

Minseok rushes off into the market, bartering with the stall owners already as they unload icy crates full of fish onto the counters. Much to Chanyeol's chagrin - now he has to be the one doing the teaching.

"Aside from the odd few berries and cold-resistant vegetables, fish and other seafood are the only reliable sustenance we can self-source," he relays quietly, nodding to each vendor as they pass stalls selling massive cod, flattened flounder, and even live lobster. "Many of our traditional dishes use them for that reason, simply because they're all that was available to us before trade became commonplace."

Being from a land of plenty, where seemingly any kind of crop could be cultivated easily, this idea of relying on only one food source is incredibly foreign to him.

"You're thinking this is all a bit strange, aren't you lad," one of the lady vendors, definitely no younger than 65, says as they examine her goods. "Judging by your eyes, you're Heddyn-folk. Fish aren't really done there, are they?"

He thinks this lady's eyesight must be immaculate for her age if she was able to spot a detail like that from as far away as they're stood. "No ma'am," he replies cordially. "Maybe nearer the Ardientan border, but not in-land Heddyn, no."

"Well, if you're sampling the catch to see if there's anything that would work there, may I suggest the salmon?" She hands him a plate of some delicately cut fish. "It can be served both cooked and raw, and it would work best with the Heddyn palate, I think. Try it."

He's a little hesitant, never having eaten raw fish before, but the encouraging nod Chanyeol offers him makes him try. Surprisingly it's not bad at all, the fish is tender and he can easily imagine it soaking up the local flavours back home.

The vendor looks pleased with his reaction. "Will you buy, sir? Please let me know if you would like to set up a working relationship, and we can arrange export to Heddyn with every new catch."

"Won't that limit the quality of the goods you keep for sale in Lumïr, if you're selling the freshest catches elsewhere?" Chanyeol pipes in, and the lady acknowledges him for the first time, though seeming more dismissive towards him.

"You seem young, boy, and don't know much about business here. It's a miracle whenever we don't operate on a loss. Spring brings storms, autumn strong winds, and in winter the water freezes over, and there's only so many boats and sailors ready to make those trips." A few of the other vendors nod in agreement without looking up from their stalls. "Summer is the only season where we can sustainably catch a good lot, and nowadays it's the season people import all their food for. Nobody has a taste for a winter kingdom's cuisine in summer, after all."

Baekhyun looks up at Chanyeol, whose altered brows are furrowed. "If you had stronger ships, more robust ones, for the winters, do you think it'd be easier," he asks.

The woman simply snorts. "Yes, it would, but unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world." The crow's feet that branch at the corners of her eyes make it clear she's seen a lot in her day. "If you're buying, please do so now. There are other customers waiting."

And indeed there are, though definitely not many, nothing like the vegetable markets Baekhyun would occasionally be tasked with bringing the potatoes to back in Heddyn.

They buy a small sampling of the fish, more of a courtesy purchase than anything. The disappointment on the vendor's face is palpable - a potential route to feed her family had just been cut off.

Minseok has set up a small campfire on the edge of the beach. They use it to cook the fish, until there's a slight char on the skin. Most royals, Baekhyun thinks, probably would have complained about the meal; Chanyeol, however, eats in complete silence. It's clear his mind is still on the conversation from inside.

"What are you thinking about?" Baekhyun asks.

"Last time I came here was maybe five years ago, but everything was fine back then. These problems weren't an issue, and the market was certainly much busier than it is today." He leans his head in his hand, tapping two steady fingers against his temple. "What happened?"

"The trade agreement with Heddyn was signed three years ago, wasn't it," Baekhyun asks, catching Chanyeol's attention. "Maybe that's it."

"Trade is a great asset to Lumïr. We are naturally disadvantaged on the food front," Chanyeol shakes his head. "There must be some way we can keep it and promote local produce as well."

"What does Lumïr currently offer in exports?" Baekhyun asks.

"Oil and metals, mostly," Minseok says from his perch overlooking the sea. "We'll be visiting the mines later on in this trip, and you will see it there."

Chanyeol is deep in thought. "Exports, huh."

Neither Baekhyun nor Minseok wants to derail his train of thought, so they quietly get through the rest of the meal. Most of the rest of the day is spent at the docks, talking to the local fishermen and women, many of whom are seeing a Heddyn-folk for the first time. An old boat, wooden and splintered at the edges, brings home the latest catch, and a curious young crew along with it. They seem to be the only young people in the area - children moving to the capital in search of work had simply become expected, one older fisherwoman had explained. These ones that had stayed behave much more rambunctiously than their elders, and do little to hide their interest in Baekhyun.

"The school books weren't kidding about your eyes. They're beautiful," a handsome young sailor smiles at Baekhyun, rolling his sleeves up at his elbows and not so discreetly eyeing him up. "Are the other rumours about Heddyn-folk true too?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," says Minseok, wrapping a protective arm around Baekhyun.

"Hey now, let him speak for himself," the man says, choosing to ignore the evil eye Minseok is sending him.

Baekhyun is not used to this kind of attention. He used to get approached with confessions at school fairly regularly, but once those around him found out about his Trait, their interest in him would suddenly dissipate completely. In the working world where Traits were always declared upfront or otherwise obvious from your role, romantic attention had shot down entirely. Receiving it again is strange, and for some reason his eyes seek out Chanyeol in this moment, though he himself isn't sure whether it's as a plea for help or a misplaced desire for a reaction.

Chanyeol doesn't really offer one either way. Instead he simply watches, arms crossed as if he's just a bystander, which in this act they're portraying, he kind of is.

Deep down, Baekhyun wishes the prince would break character for just a moment, but he knows it won't happen. So he takes matters into his own hands, shrugging out of Minseok's hold to stand tall on his own. "I think it would be best if you stick to fishing," he says with a smile, "we're all here for business after all."

Minseok laughs, and even Chanyeol smirks a little at this. On the moonlit walk back to the hotel, Minseok repeatedly recreates the scene for his own amusement, walking well ahead of the pair in what must be a deliberate move.

"If he acted like that seeing you in this transformed state, I can't imagine how he'd behave if he saw the real you," Chanyeol mutters under his breath so quietly, it's barely audible over the crashing of the waves. "But he wasn't wrong about your eyes."

Baekhyun pretends he doesn't hear him over the sound of the sea, a much easier option than trying to find a reply to that. He doesn't want to think about why Chanyeol's words made his heart skip a beat in a way the fisherman's never could.

So he just listens to the waves.

♤

The birds are still chirping as they move to the next location, taking short pitstops along the way. On these long journeys looking out over the cold and barren landscapes, Baekhyun can't help but miss home. Closing his eyes, he imagines the lush fields that he had always taken for granted.

There's a gentle hand on his shoulder. Drowsily blinking awake, unaware of when he even fell asleep, his first sight is an uneasy Chanyeol.

"We're here," he mutters, "Minseok's gone ahead. Come on, we need to hurry."

A little embarrassed, Baekhyun stands up too quickly, losing balance from the numbness in his legs. He braces himself for the impact against the hard carriage floor.

Chanyeol catches hold of his upper arm, pulling him up. "Careful," his deep baritone resonates even as the noise outside starts to build. As soon as Baekhyun's stable on his feet again he lets go.

Emerging from the wooden doors, they happen onto a setting the likes of which Baekhyun has only read about in books. Several pulley systems lift and lower people, as well as carts filled to the brim with various metals and gems of different shades.

"Can I help you, sirs," a young man no older than twenty pauses in his pushing of a cart along the rail tracks. Where his skin is exposed around his collar and his rolled-up sleeves, there's a thin but prominent layer of sweat and dirt.

"My partner here is from Heddyn, and he's interested in trade with Lumïr, and would like a little tour around your facilities, if that's alright," Chanyeol lies coolly.

Baekhyun only nods, playing into the game the prince is playing.

The boy looks confused. "I'll go consult my boss about it and see what we can do."

He scurries off, another worker taking his place like clockwork to transport the goods in silence. They all wear similar clothes, tattered denim overalls, brown gloves, brown boots. Their undershirts are woollen, the only cheap fabric they have access to, but completely unsuited to the work, collecting grime and torn in several places. Some rising up from underground have helmets on, but most don't.

The boy returns, two such helmets in hand. "The boss wasn't ok with it at first, but the Lumïrian guard who came with you said it was palace orders, so it's not like we can say no. My name is Minhyung, I guess I'll be your guide for now."

They're led onto one of the wrought iron platforms, instructed to fasten their own helmets. Baekhyun does so, but Chanyeol is more hesitant.

"How old are you, Minhyung?"

"21 this year sir," he says, cranking a lever to take them down, down into the depths of darkness.

"You've got so much life ahead of you, and you're not even going to wear a helmet?"

The boy laughs. "There's only enough helmets for the supervisors. Besides, getting knocked around a few times down here builds character."

"Is that so," Chanyeol mutters. "Well then," he pushes the helmet into Minhyung's hands as they reach the base of the mine shaft, "I'd like to build some myself. You wear this for now."

The light within the mine is incredibly dim, barely more lit than the suffocating darkness of Lumïrian nightfall. A single electric light fixture on one of the walls seems to be working, the others apparently out of operation.

"We can't have oil lamps down here," Minhyung explains when Baekhyun asks about the advanced technology. "The oxygen in here would get burned up too quickly. They used to use them, but now that these lights are being developed, they spared us some. Most of them broke pretty quickly though, and the fuse can go off anytime."

Back in Heddyn he had been using products imported from Lumïr on a daily basis, and never once thought about the people gathering the materials to make them. Watching these men, even younger than he is, working away at the walls with pickaxes and hand drills and hardly any light to see by makes his farming job seem cushy in comparison.

"You like this job, Minhyung?" Baekhyun asks, watching two men load the fruit of their toil into one of the crates.

He shrugs. "It's a living. All of us in here don't have families of our own to rely on or to support, so we've all sort of become a family of our own now."

There again is that lingering sadness. How many childhoods had the war ruined, Baekhyun wonders - how many futures had irrevocably changed from the moment peace had ceased?

It's not something any of the boys linger on though, getting back to work after spending a few seconds observing their guests. The clanging of the metal tools against the dark black walls of the caves resounds through the open space, just as the waves had battered the rocky shores of the beach by the fisheries. It smells damp, just as the beach had. It seems that water flows through every facet of life in Lumïr, just as Baekhyun recalls the smell of earth and soil wherever he'd go in Heddyn. Even here, so deep down below the surface, a stream twists its way through the mine, the bubbling water a comforting presence lending white noise to the pauses between sentences. As a consequence, though, the floor is extra slippery down here, and Baekhyun finds himself clinging to Chanyeol's sleeve so as not to lose his footing. If the prince minds this, he doesn't say anything about it.

"This is where we get our metals and jewels. The oil well is further down the way from here, and they only let the older guys do that. I'll be moving up there in a few years," he says, pride not able to fully conceal his nervousness. He leads them to one section of the wall, where another boy is wiping the sweat from his brow. In front of him the rock's been chipped away, large nuggets of silver poking out from the darkness. Baekhyun squints, seeing his transformed face in the reflection of the ores. "Already refined, and durable too. This silver is unique to this mine," Minhyung says, wiping some grime from another nugget. "I'm sure Heddyn has plenty of nobles who'd love some jewellery made from it."

Seeing the young man eyeing the precious metals while wearing such worn clothes sparks something in Baekhyun, and a quick glimpse of Chanyeol's face makes it clear that he thinks the same. "Don't you ever feel it's unfair for you to be down here digging up these things so that people can have jewellery?"

Minhyung looks down for a moment. "I'm not sure if you know this, but this silver is what's used for wedding rings here in Lumïr. Our parents too wore rings with silver from this mine, silver they dug up themselves." He looks up. "Lumïr is a land where crops don't grow, and even fish can be hard to come by. But look below, and there's beauty to be found. Without us, it would just be left hidden."

"That's very valiant of you all," Chanyeol cuts in, "but these conditions aren't safe. And for how valuable your findings are, I fear you're not being paid for your efforts properly."

The boy chuckles sheepishly. "Things were better before, but boss said there was a shift in the people in charge at the very top, even at the level of the minister in charge. It's hard to get word out to the capital when we're so far out."

Chanyeol's eyebrow twitches as he files this information away to discuss in court later.

Without warning, they're plunged into darkness. "Damn, the fuse must've blown again," Minhyung mutters. "We'd been hoping it wouldn't do this for a while more."

Baekhyun's retinas feel strangely hollow. It's as if his eyes are closed even when he knows they're fully open, darker even than the back of his eyelids. Sensory deprivation kicks in, and he begins to feel a cool breeze down his legs where there shouldn't be one.

An evacuation has been called, and he can make out the sounds of the workers shuffling forward and exasperated conversations, feeling their way along the surface of walls. There's no way this can be safe.

It's evidence enough when he hears Chanyeol hiss in pain in front of him.

Abruptly he channels his own limited body heat into his Trait, skin glowing with a soft golden light that draws the attention of everyone in the room, including Chanyeol, who stares at him wide-eyed, even as blood trickles down the side of his head.

"You're bleeding!" Baekhyun nearly yells, trying to get Chanyeol to pay attention to his words rather than his glow.

"Let's get you up to our healer quickly," Minhyung says once he snaps out of the daze the light had put him in.

Once again in the mine shaft, with everyone else too this time, Baekhyun retracts his Trait. As the light falls over them again, a boy even younger than their guide tugs on Baekhyun's shirt. "Is your Trait really common in Heddyn? Having someone like you down there with us would be so helpful."

Minhyung hushes the boy before Baekhyun can find the words, but on their way to one of the only buildings in the vicinity, he echoes the boy's sentiment, telling Baekhyun, "that Trait of yours is really something worth envying." In the time they had spent underground the sun had already set, though with the smoke clouds blanketing the area as far as the eye can see, it's quite hard to tell the difference.

An unassuming yet handsome man opens the door. "Who is it this ti-" he starts, then stops upon seeing Chanyeol. "Minhyung, you go back to the assembly point and let them know our guests are here with me."

Once he's out of earshot and the door is closed behind him, to Baekhyun's surprise, Chanyeol addresses the man like they're already acquainted. "Yixing, it's been a long time."

"It has, Your Highness. And even now you're getting yourself hurt," the man replies, shaking his head with a smile. "It's been so many years but I must say Madame Kim's Trait is really extraordinary. If Minseok hadn't come by already," he tilts his head behind him, "I might not have realised it was you." His attention shifts to Baekhyun. "You must be His Highness' new fiancé, right?"

Baekhyun nods, still getting used to being called that. "Byun Baekhyun," he bows.

"Zhang Yixing," he bows, smiling. "It's a pleasure. I used to be an apprentice healer at the palace growing up, so that's how I know him. Now if you will," he turns back to Chanyeol. "Please hurry inside."

Chanyeol obliges with no protests, being led to a reclining seat. Yixing submerges some bandages in water to clean them, before making his way to Chanyeol. Moistening his thumb, he strokes the surface of the scar multiple times. blood instantly clotting under his pressure, wound gradually healing. It works differently to Baekbeom's style of healing, Baekhyun notices - here it seems almost like Yixing is simply speeding up the natural healing process of the wound, while with Baekbeom it's more of an instantaneous regeneration of the cells themselves.

"You're quite lucky, sire," Yixing says, continuing to be incredibly formal in a way Baekhyun hadn't heard many be, but how he realises by the lack of unease in Chanyeol's face must be customary for most Lumïrian citizens. "It's a shallow cut, and won't leave a scar. It's lucky it only impacted the side of your head, otherwise your masking would have been thrown off too."

At this point Minseok walks into the room, and is immediately alarmed by the sight. "What happened? Was there an attack in the time I was gone?"

"Please Minseok, as if I'd be so defenceless to let anyone hurt me like that," Chanyeol grimaces as the antiseptic is applied. "This was just an accident in the mines, nothing else. Is this a common occurrence, Yixing?"

The healer sighs. "Unfortunately. Before I arrived, it seems many would succumb to infections due to lacklustre first-aid. I was able to convince them to accept free treatment after a lot of convincing, though, and now it's much easier on them."

"They shouldn't be getting hurt in the first place. Our budget for the mining industries has more than enough for proper safety equipment," Chanyeol huffs.

"I guess that explains the flashy new jewellery Minister Seo's young wife was showing off at the banquet," Minseok notes. 

"It explains a whole lot," Chanyeol frowns, tapping his fingers on his knee.

"It's getting rather late, sire," Yixing says, cutting through the intense atmosphere. "There's no inn in this area, and you're welcome to stay the night here if you'd like, though I cannot promise you luxury."

"That's no problem at all, Yixing." Chanyeol thanks him, even as the healer apologises to all of them as he heads out to get some food. "Minseok, mind coming with me to help me choose what to get?"

He agrees, leaving Baekhyun and Chanyeol alone. There's silence for a long while, with Chanyeol resting on the recliner with his eyes closed, until he interrupts it. "That was quite a sight you gave us all down there. When we were underground, I mean."

Baekhyun scoffs, shaking his head. "Hardly. I was just doing what I needed to to make sure nobody else got hurt."

"I thought you said your Trait was useless on its own. Seems pretty useful to me," Chanyeol yawns, touching the area with the bandage lightly and wincing.

"The dark is different here in Lumïr. There's nothing like that in Heddyn, it never gets so dark you can't see," Baekhyun leans back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. "All these years I've never once had to use my Trait that way. Even if there's no lamps, we can at least always see the moon."

"The moon in Lumïr gets hidden by the smoke most of the time," Chanyeol says, opening his eyes and cocking his head towards Baekhyun. "But when it's visible, it lights the path." He leans up on his elbows, slowly sitting up, almost studying him now. "Maybe the problem isn't with your Trait, just that you weren't in the right place to prove your talents."

Baekhyun can feel the flush rising up through his face, the air catching in his throat. He'd been complimented by Minhyung and the other boys too, but for some reason coming from Chanyeol's mouth, it's almost like he's being challenged to accept the praise instead of just dismissing it. Something about the prince's affect, about the way he leans forward and refuses to shift his gaze away even after Baekhyun breaks the eye contact.

Thankfully for him, Minseok and Yixing return soon later, allowing Baekhyun reprieve from having to address the elephant in the room. Finishing their meal, a simple dish of hot soup with bread, Yixing suggests they sleep right away, offering the quasi-hospital ward of a spare room he has, pristine white and excruciatingly sanitised. Having napped so much throughout the day though, and with the adrenaline from before still coursing through his bloodstream, he isn't counting on sleeping anytime soon. He watches through the large window on one side of the room as the smoke from the mines continues to billow out, until eventually it disappears quite late into the night. The moon, already high in the night sky, shines brilliantly now, streaming through the window and illuminating Chanyeol's sleeping face. It's a shame, Baekhyun thinks, that the prince and everyone else in this town are asleep by now, missing their best chance to observe the moon they love so much, in its full glory.

♤

They don't stay too long at all, wary that they might get in the way, and so they're on the road again early in the morning, sun barely over the horizon. Obviously Baekhyun is exhausted, having barely gotten any sleep last night, what with all the thoughts whirling around his head and keeping him awake. He can't help nodding off, and it's only the ruckus outside which manages to rouse him from slumber. It's not until then that he realises he's been leaning on the prince this entire time, and he's been too courteous in not wanting to disturb him.

Sitting upright, Baekhyun takes a deep breath. "Sorry I keep doing this."

"It's not a problem," Chanyeol mumbles under his breath, conscious of Minseok's teasing eye on the both of them. "We're asking a lot of you in a very short time, I know." 

Something about that irks Baekhyun, but he can't quite put his finger on what, so he keeps it to himself.

They park, disembarking from the vehicle. Chanyeol slips the driver, an elderly man with as many wrinkles as a tree has leaves, some cash. "Take some rest, Mr Ok. We'll be back in a few hours."

The corners of the man's eyes crinkle with a smile. Judging by his age, Baekhyun would not be surprised if he was working for the palace during the time of Chanyeol's grandparents.

The market stalls seem to overflow with an array of fruits, vegetables and meats, mostly imports from Heddyn and Ardienta. Some things Baekhyun of course recognises, like Heddyn's native carrots and raspberries, but others are largely foreign, such as the mangoes or coriander. Ardienta exported to Heddyn too, of course, though definitely never to this extent. Heddyn mainly relies on itself, after all.

One of the vendors from the fisheries is here, noticing them among the crowd and beckoning them over with a smile. "Good to see you again, sirs," she bows her head. "Please have a look. It's the freshest you'll find in this whole market - they were reeled in just this morning."

Chanyeol thinks a moment before leaning to whisper in Minseok's ear, the guard cheesing extra hard once he's done. "If it's alright with you, we'll take the lot."

The vendor laughs for a second before disbelief sets in. "Are you serious?"

Minseok nods, handing what can only be described as a massive wad of cash over to her, which she receives before dropping into a crouch and heavily sobbing.

They leave Minseok to get the logistics of the shipping sorted out, exploring the rest of the venue. There might be more colour in here than in the entirety of the rest of Lumïr, and even the sellers speak with a variety of tones and dialects, and it's unlike anything he's ever experienced before. He's not the only Heddyn-folk here, and there are even more Ardientans. For the first time since he landed in Lumïr, it doesn't feel like the spotlight is on him for once. The scent of spices waft through the air ever so delicately, leaving Baekhyun's mouth watering and his stomach rumbling.

Somehow Chanyeol manages to hear one of these rumbles over the noise, so he pulls Baekhyun into a small eatery on a side road branching off the market square. The interior of the tiny restaurant is distinct from every other neighbouring establishment, mosaic tile in place of solid wood floors, terracotta pots sprouting lush leaves only able to thrive in the warmth of indoors. Those spices Baekhyun had only caught a hint of earlier now dominate, chilli and cinnamon and turmeric all mingling into a heady mixture, the distant aftertaste of rum served last night still an intoxicating cloud hovering over the place.

Chanyeol approaches the bar, where a tanned man in a short-sleeved white shirt is drying a glass. The man looks up, realisation dawning as he considers Chanyeol, an excited grin spreading up to his eyes. The place is quite empty at this time of day, probably a more popular destination later at night, so nobody is there to notice the owner lead them to a back room. It's an intimate space, only one table placed in the middle of the room, but the decoration is beyond anything Baekhyun's ever seen. Vines laden with pink and orange hibiscus hang from wooden lattice ceilings. A small fountain in the corner, shaped like an iridescent shell and likely made of real pearl, features tiny dolphin statuettes in immaculate gold. Add some ambient frog croaking and Baekhyun would believe he'd stepped into some kind of mirage in the middle of a desert.

"What is this place," is all he can say.

"This place was my father's engagement gift to my mother," Chanyeol says, a little hesitant. "To ward off her homesickness. They'd come here in secret before they were married."

"It's beautiful," Baekhyun reaches out to touch a tiny purple flower, similar in shape to the pre-bloom dandelions that appeared every spring in Heddyn. Instead of scattering onto him though, this flower curls up on contact, its leaves folding up as if to hide in its stem, making Baekhyun flinch.

"They call that a touch-me-not flower. Curls up whenever anyone or anything gets too close," Chanyeol can't help his shit-eating smirk at Baekhyun's reaction. "Kind of reminds me of someone."

"Shut up," Baekhyun mutters, hiding his face away to conceal the way he's burning up.

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you since you're looking away and all," Chanyeol grins slyly, pulling a chair out for him. "You're only proving my point more."

"Just because Heddyn's culture isn't so reckless as yours doesn't mean you can make fun of me," Baekhyun takes the seat but crosses his arms in a show of annoyance.

"You say reckless, I say free," Chanyeol says, draping his coat across the back of the opposite chair before he too sits down, leaning back. "Besides, I'm not making fun of you because I think our culture is superior or anything. It's just that your reactions are too fun to watch."

"Yeah? Well-" Baekhyun pauses as the man from earlier enters the room, setting two plates of grilled steak in front of them. He can feel the hunger roaring in his stomach, but he tries to hold his stead. "It's better to have full emotions than just looking constipated every time Minseok makes a joke at your expense."

"Wow, so that's how it is, is it?" He shovels a piece of meat into his mouth, table manners falling away for a moment.

"Jeez, aren't royals supposed to get etiquette lessons or something? The least you can do is eat with your mouth shut," Baekhyun prods, before taking a bite himself. He loses himself for a moment in the intricate flavour soaked into the meat, the tenderness and it seems to melt away in his mouth, just catching himself in time to stop himself from drooling. Once he comes to, he sees Chanyeol staring directly at him, a tiny smile on his face.

"Your reactions really are something else," Chanyeol laughs to himself, continuing to eat as he looks down at his food now.

They finish their food with a few more quips thrown in, sipping on the fruity sangria slowly to dull its effects. Looking at the room around him, this haven that Chanyeol's father had built for his wife, Baekhyun wonders how much he must have loved her. He'd never detected any kind of non-platonic feelings between the king and Lady Yunseo, in fact they even slept in different rooms, so theirs truly is a strategic alliance. This room, though, could not have been born out of political ambition, it was too thorough, too organic to have been anything but romance.

Leaving the tiny paradise with some cash slipped to the bartender, returning to the outside world of Lumïr is jarring to say the least. Rain, cold and merciless patters against the stone pavements, chilling to the bone. They run to reach some shelter, catching up with Minseok who has already chatted up the rest of the market vendors, a knowing look on his face.

"I get that you two wanted to go on a date, but you could have at least warned me beforehand," he snickers.

"Stop it, Minseok," Baekhyun shoves him a little, looking up at Chanyeol and expecting to see that same stiff expression, a little stunned to see the prince cracking a slight smile.

They continue to visit the stalls, purchasing ingredients as they go, apparently for the engagement ceremony preparations. Ordering with firmness, even bartering where it's clear prices are unfair, Baekhyun sees Chanyeol be more outspoken than ever before, clearly not his first time mingling with the populace. If they knew he was the prince, he can't imagine how differently they'd act. Chanyeol, without the shackles of regal obligation, is like a different person altogether. He'd be a great ruler by himself, Baekhyun thinks. It seems there's nothing he can't do. It's getting more difficult to see why he even has to marry him, if he's already so capable without. At the least, letting himself be guided around while Chanyeol does everything is getting increasingly uncomfortable. He can't help but think of the way Baekbeom had got him his job back in Heddyn.

Proceeding towards the parking sport where they'd left their carriage, they see a large crowd gathering. Minseok is immediately on guard, making them wait as he strides forward, and Chanyeol watches on with brows creased.

Red paint the colour of blood is streaked across the vehicle, broad strokes spelling out the word "cowards" in thick, bold letters. The elderly driver sits next to it, head in his hands, shaking even more vigorously when he notices Minseok. "I swear it wasn't me, sir. They ran off before I could stop them."

Minseok crouches next to him as Chanyeol and Baekhyun draw closer, trying to ease his fear as the old man clasps his hands together, begging for mercy. "We believe you, Mr Ok. Just tell us what you saw, what did they look like?"

The man shakes his head. "All I could tell was that they were young men, quite tall. They were wearing masks, so I couldn't see their faces. But they smashed open a window and threw this inside," he says, handing them a note wrapped around a rock.

Chanyeol takes the note off of him, examining it carefully. Scratchy, barely legible handwriting spells out a short paragraph, the message just what they had been dreading. _We reject the false peace forced upon us by those in power. Our brothers and sisters did not die in vain. Vengeance will rise._

Baekhyun reads the note over his shoulder, eyes widening, looking up at Chanyeol and confounded by the lack of shock in the prince's face. He almost looks like he'd been expecting this.

"Hail a taxi, Minseok, it's time to go back to the palace."

They're quiet on the short trip back, but as soon as they're in the door they're discussing fervently. "We finally managed to collect some evidence on this trip. Based on this I think it's safe to focus the investigation within the capital alone," Minseok details to a nodding Chanyeol, who retreats into the study.

Baekhyun, utter confusion welling up inside, stops Minseok to confront him before he can follow the prince in. "This trip wasn't just to show me around, was it," Baekhyun says, finally understanding.

The soldier sighs, remorseful. "We thought bringing our surveillance efforts forward would be beneficial, and so we decided to kill two birds with one stone." He bows, which completely throws Baekhyun off, as he's so used to informality from the young guard by now. "I apologise for not being entirely truthful with you."

Baekhyun shakes his head, otherwise completely stiff. "It wasn't your call," he says, already looking beyond the man and at his next target. "There's someone else I need to have some words with."

Who else could it be but his fiancé, glaring down at an array of letters spread across the table. He doesn't look up when Baekhyun moves to stand next to him, facing him directly. He clears his throat.

"What is it, Baekhyun," he says, sounding exasperated, but also clearly already aware of the man's presence there.

"I don't understand why you had to keep the nature of this mission a secret to me. Doing things like treating me to steak and such while you had all this going on in the background. Am I not reliable enough to divulge this to?" Baekhyun says, voice betraying his hurt.

Briefly looking up from his work, Chanyeol struggles to find words. "It's not about that. We just didn't want to saddle you with more responsibility. You're doing enough as it is."

"Am I?" He can't help but raise his voice. "From where I'm standing, it looks like I'm just being carted around everywhere to look at things, and occasionally standing still so you can use my Trait." He takes in Chanyeol's baffled visage, but doesn't stop. "All my life I've felt indebted to my brother. Your favour let me finally give something back to him. Now that debt is owed to you, and I refuse to sit pretty and let my husband do all the work like some trophy wife when we're both meant to be ruling."

Maybe he would have felt embarrassed over his outburst in different circumstances, but not now, as he catches his breath, teeth gritted.

Chanyeol gapes, and now it's his turn to look flustered. "I wasn't aware that that's how you felt," he says, softly. "I'm sorry. We should have told you; you have the right to know our plans and to add to them, at that. I just didn't think you'd care so much for a land that isn't your home."

"I'll be living here for the rest of my life, right?" He cocks an eyebrow, hand on his hip. "As long as the people treat me as theirs, Lumïr is home for the foreseeable future."

The corner of Chanyeol's lip twitches before he looks down at the papers once more, digesting everything he's just heard and everything spread out in front of him, before meeting Baekhyun's eyes. That same spark is there, that fire behind Chanyeol's irises that makes Baekhyun a little nervous, but also kind of hopeful.

"So, what do you say we do next?"

♤

The king sits on a slightly reclined chair, probably custom-built for his ailments, at the head of the large meeting table. The ministers sit along the sides, with First Minister Kang and CMO Kim positioned right next to the leader.

As soon as Baekhyun and Chanyeol enter the room, all eyes are on them.

Tapping his fingers on the pinewood table, the regent starts. "We have little time to waste. Please present your findings on the security threat to Lumïr. Both of you."

Chanyeol bows ever so slightly, and Baekhyun follows suit. "We started our investigation in the outskirts, up by the Coldwater Docks, where there seemed to be no traces of any kind of violence."

"There were some grievances from the people, but there didn't seem to be any violent rhetoric caused by these," Baekhyun pipes up, drawing some surprised murmurs from ministers likely not expecting him to have any input.

"We then visited the mining district, however," Chanyeol says, and one minister shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "We found safety protocol there highly lacking, despite our budgetary proposals having more than enough funds for it. I can't say this was a great first-impression for our cabinet nor Mr Seo."

"Is that so," the king says, arching a brow as a finger rests at his chin. "Seo, I think a meeting after this one is in order, just the two of us."

The middle-aged man only stares down at the desk, uttering a shameful "yes, Your Highness," as the royal gestures at Chanyeol to continue.

"Despite there likely existing some animosity towards the state there, where I dare say it's justified," Chanyeol pauses, "there seemed to be no organised collective demanding war."

Baekhyun retrieves the letter from the other night, placing it on the table. The king inspects it first, followed by the ministers, one by one.

"This was planted into our carriage the last day we spent on the trip, collecting intel in the capital. It seems like someone had discovered us. Now whether it was spies or our own intelligence officers, it's happening under our noses."

"This is so vague. We're practically where we were at the start of this operation," Uncle Kim says.

"What do you plan to do, Chanyeol?" His father stares at him, steady in his focus.

Chanyeol takes a deep breath, looking over at Baekhyun. "We've decided to personally visit Vitríl in order to invite the royals to our engagement celebration."

There is an outcry from each of the ministers at the table, some even standing up between their loud gesticulating.

Uncle Kim is especially vocal. "We cannot have the two of you visit that place, especially in this climate where there's a good chance they're the ones trying to get you killed!"

The shouting continues for a while, until suddenly a resounding "Quiet!" booms across the space. The king regards them, regaining his composed stance. "I've silenced them, but only because I too would like some explanation. I can't deny that I have similar concerns."

"Speaking from an outsider's perspective, there's simply no reason to suspect Vitríl as of right now," Baekhyun says, feeling the judgement being aimed at him. "Putting aside biases caused by trauma from the war, at least. They have upheld the conditions of the ceasefire and peace treaty perfectly honourably." He glances at Chanyeol. "We believe it would be best to address the matter with them directly, and kickstart diplomacy in this new generation."

"Frankly it's quite ludicrous to me that a child from the kingdom who sat out the war is to advise us now," Mr Kang says.

All of a sudden Baekhyun feels a rush of heat next to him. Chanyeol looks livid. "He's soon-to-be ruler. Address him the way you would me."

Baekhyun puts his hand on Chanyeol's shoulder, and suddenly the heat in his clenched fists becomes blindingly visible. The ministers all shift uncomfortably in place, while his father remains unfazed.

"Chanyeol, calm down," Baekhyun tells him firmly. "Relax."

He still looks angry, but the flames disappear. Mr Kang notices this, even perks an eyebrow, but says nothing further.

"For what it's worth, I think it's a great idea," Seungil chimes in, though again it seems like few are willing to listen.

"Chanyeol, Baekhyun," the king says, addressing them both together for the first time. "I won't deny that this endeavour does worry me. However, I trust in your abilities to evaluate risk and reward, and so I won't oppose this course of action."

Multiple ministers appear to want to protest, but it doesn't seem like the king will budge from this decision.

Once out of the room, Baekhyun can finally take the breaths he feels like he'd been holding that whole time.

"You did well," Chanyeol manages to tell him in the brief moment of silence they got before the meeting room empties out unceremoniously.

Quickly the CMO approaches. "You may have got the go-ahead for this excursion, but we can't have you two going alone. I'll escort you there myself, if only to put my own mind at ease."

"As much as I'm sure they appreciate your concern, Mr Kim," Seungil slides effortlessly into the conversation, "I don't think bringing the head of the military to diplomacy talks is the best for our optics." He waits for either of them to refute his point, but they can't. "I'll be happy to accompany you both, though. I've maintained correspondence with the young royals, and having a trusted face there with you would be helpful, I think."

Chanyeol ponders this, then nods in agreement. "You're right. We need to show them we're willing to trust them, otherwise it's all useless."

Baekhyun gives Uncle Kim an apologetic bow. "I'm sure we can take Minseok, if you're worried about our safety, right?"

Both Chanyeol and Seungil nod, though the older CMO's stressed demeanour doesn't fade. There's an almost accusatory nature to his stare, and he's directing it straight at Seungil, but he leaves without another word.

"What was that about," Seungil laughs a little nervously.

"No idea," Chanyeol says, still trying to take everything in. "Anyway, we need to get things ready. We move at dusk."

♤

The journey to Vitríl is about the same distance as that of Heddyn to Lumïr, but the lack of traffic on the roads at this time of night makes it seem to go much faster. Peering out of the windows, the landscape reminds Baekhyun so much of home. Pine trees turn to maple ones, animals have colour to their fur and feathers again. The grass is greener here, and miles and miles of farmland extend out, their crops recently taken in for Harvest. This kingdom and his own are sisters in many ways, the most alike in nature and people. He wonders if he would have felt so homesick as he does now, had he been asked to marry into Vitríl rather than Lumïr.

He spends his waking moments pondering questions like these, and before he knows it the sun has risen over the horizon, and they've arrived.

The small party of four step out of their carriage and onto the small steps provided by the staff. Said staff stand quite rigidly, keeping their eyes downcast constantly even as they welcome their guests into the palace.

"It's strange here," Baekhyun mutters to Minseok under his breath, as he takes in the room. The decor is much more akin to that of Heddyn, though the colour palette reflects the kingdom's season well: walls are painted shades of burgundy red and burnt ochre, just as the falling leaves had been in the countryside.

"It is," the guard replies, allowing Seungil to walk in front, watching him carefully.

"Your Majesties," the older man says, bowing to two tall figures obscured from their view by the surprisingly badly lit interior. "Thank you for having us on such short notice."

"No problem at all, Mr Lee," says a lithe, feminine voice. "It's not every day we have visitors from Lumïr, let alone royalty at that."

Light streams in through one of the windows at last, and they're finally able to see two figures before them, a young woman and a young man, both apparently of less years than either Baekhyun or Chanyeol. Seungil had run down the basics with them on the way here - these two were cousins, and had both lost both parents, some in the war and some later. The line of succession placed the young lady next in line to the throne, but she had been far too young to rule at the time. She had only recently taken up the post from placeholder officials.

"Prince Chanyeol," she says, eschewing a curtsy for an outstretched hand. Baekhyun notes her beauty - rather than dainty and delicate like Yoora, her presence demands attention for its strength. "It's been a while."

Chanyeol takes it, shaking firmly and never breaking eye contact. "It certainly has, Princess Soojung. And you too, Prince Sehun."

"First-name basis is fine for now," the other figure says, stepping into the light. He too has a statuesque feel to him, exuding power.

Baekhyun can't help but wonder if they're like this all the time, or only in front of them. Either way, he can clearly feel that Minseok is on edge, and he can't blame him.

Suddenly her focus is on Baekhyun. "You must be the fiancé Mr Lee told me about, then. Pardon me for not being able to recall your name."

"My name is Byun Baekhyun," he says. The instinct to bow is there, but considering Chanyeol hadn't, he stands upright instead, offering his own hand to shake.

She looks at it for a second, and then to her cousin, before laughing quietly to herself as she takes it. "How amusing. Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr Byun, and welcome to Vitríl. We hope you enjoy your time here."

They're taken into another room, one with plenty more windows, thankfully. The princess is one step ahead. "We have to conserve the fuel we use to the darkest hours of the darkest months. There's only so much wood we can burn before we lose our forests."

There are no oil lamps here, let alone the chandeliers abundant around Lumïr's palace. In fact there is little to no metal ornaments or furniture to be seen either - everything seems crafted from wood or clay, even down to the earrings the royal cousins wear.

"Well, we are glad to have you, but I am curious to the purpose of your visit," she says, taking a seat on an extravagant chaise-lounge, Sehun standing behind it, arms crossed.

"We came to personally invite both of you to the engagement celebrations," Seungil says, but the two look unconvinced.

"I highly doubt that. Personal invitations for such matters are hardly customary for Lumïr," Sehun says, increasingly guarded in his stance.

"You're right," Chanyeol says, and their eyes shift to him instantly. "We've been encountering some trouble in Lumïr. We don't know the source, but there seems to be a faction of people who want a return to war."

The two simply sit in silence as they process the information just unloaded onto them.

"What are you trying to say here," Sehun starts. It's ever so slight, but Baekhyun can feel the air in the room almost stiffen somehow.

"Stop, Sehun," Soojung demands, and he does so begrudgingly. "I don't sense any ill-intent in your words, but I don't understand your implications, nor what brings you here today."

"As we said, we have no way of knowing the source of this pro-war sentiment. But," Baekhyun says, leaning forward even as his every move is scrutinised, "if we're able to publicly rebuild ties between the two kingdoms, there's a chance such sentiments will disappear as well."

Soojung looks between them. "Would these ties involve trade as well?"

"Of course," Seungil says, eager to de-escalate the situation.

There's another moment's pause. Wind rattles outside the windows.

Soojung massages her temple, eyes shut. "I cannot say our people will ever truly forgive each other. Indeed, I don't think I will ever be able to reconcile the loss of my loved ones through the actions of Lumïr or Ardienta." There's weight in her voice, the same kind Baekhyun had heard in so many back in Lumïr. "But if what you say is true, as my abilities can sense it is, I guess I have no choice but to co-operate. I'll be damned if we're forced to go to war again because we chose not to act now."

Not long after, they're already in the carriage back home. As soon as they're on the road, out of earshot of the citizens, Chanyeol, Minseok and Seungil all sigh in relief in unison, startling Baekhyun."

"I'm so glad we're out of there," Minseok says, and Baekhyun realises these are the first words he's spoken since they entered the palace. "I couldn't have lasted a few more minutes in there."

"Me either," Chanyeol says, emoting more now than Baekhyun has ever seen him do before. "How do you do it all the time, Seungil?"

"Practice," he smiles, though a little strained. "It's still not easy, but I can handle it much better now than I used to."

It's difficult for Baekhyun to understand, of course, being the only one who hadn't dealt with war at any level. Heddyn had remained completely neutral, after all. Many in the kingdom don't even know the full extent of the losses; he too had been ignorant. It's a strange feeling, as they re-enter Lumïr and hear the crowds bustling past and being made to give way for the carriage. When they had left for the tour, he had seen those same people, and assumed he could relate to them more than a royal ever could. But now he's not so sure.

"Seems like we'll have to rely on you whenever it comes to dealing with Vitríl," Chanyeol says, placing a hand on his shoulder, gripping quite hard.

"Anyway, at least it's done with now," Seungil says, stretching in his place. "Let's focus on your engagement for now."

♤

The days pass quickly. It's more of the same as when he first arrived - clothes fittings, the occasional lesson from Yoora, and writing letters. It's difficult to put into words everything he's been through, to his family and to Jongdae, but he tries.

Every so often he'd receive a reply. Jongdae informs him of Mr Jung's plans to expand into carrot harvesting as well, and how lonely the farm has gotten without him. He's starting to look for other jobs now, one of which involves travelling around the four kingdoms to fix electric fixtures. Admittedly he does miss Jongdae immensely, though he can't say the same about farm life.

Baekhee had said her first word recently - it had been "mama", much to Gayoung's satisfaction and Baekbeom's dismay - though she had said "dada" not too long afterwards. Slowly she's figuring out how to say her own name, though it seems she keeps on getting it mixed up with Baekhyun. Deep down, he's just glad she still remembers him after his long absence.

Occasionally Chanyeol will pull him into the courtyard with no warning, to practice for another few hours. Baekhyun doesn't mind too much; it's easier to get him to divulge things when he's distracted. This is how Baekhyun learns of his birthday, which had passed while he was there, uncelebrated. He learned of his skills in skiing - understandable - as well as needlework - less so.

As for their physical intimacy, aside from their proximity during training, nothing at all has happened. Sometimes when he's out from a shower or changing clothes and Chanyeol happens to be in the room, Baekhyun feels he's being watched. It's a little worrying to him, in fact, because he finds himself caring about it less and less.

The winter solstice draws closer. It's strange to notice how it gets colder and colder, amplified here to a greater degree than it normally is in Heddyn, but still see no snowfall or ice. These will only appear once Chanyeol welcomes winter officially, and will last the three months until Dayfull, the onset of spring.

"I'm sure you must have wondered at some point why winter is even necessary, being from Heddyn," Chanyeol mentions one day during their ever-longer practice sessions.

Baekhyun can't deny that the thought did cross his mind many a time growing up. Crops were planted in spring, grew in the summer, and were harvested in autumn. This is the lens through which every Heddyn-folk sees the world, one which omits winter entirely.

"The great black bears of Lumïr slumber every winter. They store the energy from food they ate in autumn, when times are plenty, and use it to keep from hunger during their sleep, and maintain their body temperature," Chanyeol explains, illustrating his story with a crystalline bear and its cubs, huddled inside a cave.

That little fact reminds Baekhyun of somebody, but he keeps the joke to himself.

"Winter is the only time the bear gets to rest absolutely. The same goes for all the other animals, and the trees, and even the soil itself. Without this time, they would not be able to be born anew, come springtime."

Baekhyun smiles. It's a wholesome little anecdote, one that he hadn't really pictured Chanyeol as the type to use. "Is that how they teach it in schools here?"

The prince shakes his head. "Earlier than that. It's a common bedtime story for mothers in Lumïr to tell their children. Yoora is telling Yoosung that same story now. Our mother would tell us it when we were young as well, as my grandmother had taught her."

This is the first time Chanyeol's talked about his mother candidly, so obviously Baekhyun is left open-mouthed. Chanyeol doesn't seem angry or upset about slipping up though, simply pulling Baekhyun in for their joint practice instead. So he decides to push it.

"What was your mother like?"

"I'm sure you've heard some things from Yoora already," he chuckles. "She probably knew her better than I did, being older and all."

"But in the paintings, you seemed so close," he says, reaching for Chanyeol's wrist.

"We were," Chanyeol's voice mellows out somewhat. "But there was always a little gap. She loved our father, and the two of us dearly, but it's clear Lumïr was never truly her home. Part of her always stayed back in Ardienta." Chanyeol's other hand comes to rest on Baekhyun's waist, making him jolt ever so slightly. "It's the downside to this custom, but there is no other way. I can't imagine it's any easier for you."

"Aside from my family and Jongdae, there aren't really any people I miss, as such," he breathes, Chanyeol's hand firm and unmoving. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the place."

"Tell me everything once this is over," Chanyeol mutters, melting away the ice again, breath hot on the back of Baekhyun's neck. "I want to understand, to close that distance as much as I can."

And so he does. Baekhyun tells him of his childhood, of paddling in the Babbling Brooks with his brother, returning home covered in mud and dirt to be scolded, only to do it all over again the next day. The trees with their large green canopies providing shade from the sun as the two of them and Gayoung would climb them, picking acorns off the branches and watching them fall to the ground below. How every year the cherry blossoms would flower, their pink petals becoming the backdrop for every young couple's romantic confession. It had been the same when Baekbeom finally gathered the will to ask Gayoung out, something Baekhyun and Jongdae had seen as an inevitability, just as they expected it when she said yes.

Chanyeol listens to him, transfixed, though the longer he talks the more Baekhyun feels like he's looking into him somehow, past the veneer of the man telling stories, but straight at him instead. It's only when he notices this that he realises they've been holding hands for quite some time too, and he breaks away, blush reaching his ears.

The staff seem to have noticed the shift in dynamics as well, exchanging knowing looks between themselves and excusing themselves from the room whenever the two are next to each other in quite an obvious way. It's enough for both of them to acknowledge, but they choose to laugh it away awkwardly in place of addressing it.

In line with Lumïrian customs, their engagement is incredibly private, moreso than even the most conservative Heddyn ceremonies. It's a brief affair, something fitting right into the kingdom's no-frills attitude. Only three people, the two of them and an officiary, standing under the light of the full moon. They exchange rings, silver ones of Lumïr's own making, simple so as not to impede the reflection of light off their surface.

"So you're officially engaged now! Feel any different?" Yoora says, teasing her brother and moving onto Baekhyun when he ignores her.

"Not really," Baekhyun mumbles, which is true - things had already begun to change a while ago.

The king deigns to see them off the night before the solstice. "I entrust this responsibility to you, son," he says, holding Chanyeol softly at his shoulders. "I am sure you will make me and our people proud."

Chanyeol stands tall, straight-faced, not betraying an ounce of fear or uncertainty. "I will."

As their carriage gets further from the capital city and continues along its path, there are less traces of civilisation. Nature becomes more dominant, and somehow more desolate as well - late December already, harsh winds whip against the outside as they rattle along the cobblestone paths laid thousands of years ago.

There's less greenery the longer they travel, and even the number of birds in the sky decreases vastly.

"Borealis Peak is the year-round abode of the Spirit of Winter," Chanyeol explains, "it's where she slumbers for the rest of the year, until we welcome her with our family's Trait, and she spreads her blessing throughout the land."

They arrive at an inn at the base of the mountain, the only building it seems for miles around. It's a humble establishment, but clearly one with a storied past.

"Your Highness," a young man around their age welcomes them at the door. "We've been expecting you. Your room is ready, as is the sauna and hot spring."

"Thank you, Junmyeon," Chanyeol says. "It's strange to come here without my father, but he is too old to make the journey now."

"I am rather surprised as well. But you aren't alone," he looks curiously at Baekhyun for a moment before leading them down a candlelit corridor, spots of light reflecting off his dark blue robes.

"This is my fiancé, Byun Baekhyun of Heddyn. I brought him along to observe the ritual."

"Nice to meet you, Mr Byun," the innkeeper bows, before sliding open the door to their room for the night. "My name is Kim Junmyeon, the current generation of the guardians of Borealis Peak. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything you need during your stay here."

Once he's hurried away out of earshot, Baekhyun relaxes a little. "He's very proper."

"He was worse during his training period, when he still lived in the capital. You could never make any kind of jokes around him," Chanyeol his legs out on the mat flooring. "He's from a long line of water Trait bearers who live here. All the rivers that flow through Lumïr start here, so taking care of them is a big responsibility, and he got too in his head about it. I think actually spending time out here alone has mellowed him out, though."

"Will he be here on his own forever?" Baekhyun says, a little concerned. If he was practically stranded by himself in such a harsh environment with no contact to the outside world, he's sure he would personally lose his mind.

"No no, that's not sustainable," Chanyeol laughs. "His brother isn't available for the next few years as he's raising his children, but a cousin of his is in training, and they will each take year-long shifts once she's ready." He stands, opening the sliding door that leads to the outside, a slight chill invading the previously warm space. To Baekhyun's surprise, he suddenly strips completely, kicking his clothes behind him into the room without a second thought.

Baekhyun doesn't bother looking away, but does recognise that he's gotten strangely used to it.

"I'll be taking a dip in the hot spring, if you'd like to join me before dinner."

There isn't really much else he can do alone in the room, and so not even give minutes later, he's making good on Chanyeol's invitation. He's still not so brazen though, at least tying a towel around his hips until he reaches the edge of the water. With all the steam rising off its surface, there's just enough of a cover for him to slip the towel off and slide into the water without being seen.

"You Heddyn-folk sure have hang-ups," Chanyeol yawns from across the pool. "We're both men. What exactly do you think I haven't seen before?"

"I could say the same about Lumïrians - you sure bring this up a lot. Are you really that desperate to see my body?" Baekhyun retorts.

Chanyeol snorts. "If I was, I'd have already done a lot more than look, trust me."

This turns Baekhyun red, grateful for the steam obscuring their view of each other even if it means he can no longer read Chanyeol's expressions. He shuts his eyes, head leaning back against the smooth stone borders. He can hear so vividly like this - the whirling wind rolling down the mountains, the crackle of a hearth fire lit somewhere inside the inn, and every minute movement Chanyeol makes in the water. Feeling the hot water curl around every contour of his muscles, soothing each in turn, it only just sinks in how wound up he'd become over the last few days. None of the lavish baths in the palace could even come close to this bliss.

Eventually, after what could have been either hours or minutes, there is a soft chiming of a bell clearly made to indicate that dinner is ready. Chanyeol eases himself up out of the shallow pool.

Baekhyun stands up less gradually and immediately regrets it, sub-zero temperatures crashing into his body all at once. It's so cold he's shaking, barely able to reach for his towel and completely unable to tie it around himself. He can feel the chill in his bones, and knows this can't be healthy.

Before he knows it, the towel is out of his hands, but instead of seeing it floating in the water after dropping it, he can just about sense its weight on his hips, where he isn't completely numb yet. And then his back is getting warmer slowly, and then his arms, and as his body returns to normal, his sense of touch slowly returns too.

Of course Chanyeol is behind him, making sure they're touching as much as possible to maximise the heat transference. "My fault," he says, voice slightly husky like he'd just woken up. It's a voice Baekhyun has only heard from him once before, what with his early bird nature and all. "I've only come here with family before, so I forgot you wouldn't be able to regulate your own body temperature as much."

It's important, Baekhyun thinks, to remember that Chanyeol is only doing this for platonic reasons, simply so that he doesn't freeze himself to death. That's what he tells himself again and again anyway, especially as his mind begins to wander: remembering how Chanyeol is fully nude in the present moment, and that all that physically separates them is the bath towel clinging to his sides.

"Are you warm now?" Chanyeol asks.

Baekhyun nods, not daring to turn around.

"Then we better get inside," he says slowly, keeping his arm around Baekhyun's waist for the short distance back to the room.

From the corner of his eye, Baekhyun watches the water still dripping from Chanyeol's hair make its way in rivets down the side of his neck and onto his chest. He watches, and by the way Chanyeol's hold on him neither loosens or tightens, he gets away with it.

Once in the room again they change into the robes provided to them, folded and ready for wear. They consist of a woollen fabric built to conserve heat, making them particularly fluffy to the touch. A meal of elk stew and warm bread, simple but filling, has been set out for them in their absence, and they waste no time getting to it. The feeling of being fully-rested, well-fed, and utterly relaxed has Baekhyun grinning in satisfaction, only for his smile to drop when he notices there's only one futon for the both of them.

"It's fine, I'll sleep on the floor," Chanyeol announces pre-emptively.

"No," Baekhyun stops him. You need to be well-rested for tomorrow's ceremony."

"Well you can't sleep outside the futon, you'll freeze to death," Chanyeol prods.

Baekhyun sighs, swallowing his pride at last. "We're engaged now, so I think us sharing a bed is okay."

Dumbfounded, Chanyeol waits a minute for Baekhyun to take back what he said, but he doesn't. Still a little hesitant, he slides into the futon, holding it up for Baekhyun to make his way in too, which he does after putting out the one lamp in the room.

It's quite spacious, but Baekhyun's sure that Chanyeol can hear how loud his heart's beating at this proximity. The prince has his eyes closed, clearly trying to get to sleep quickly. For the first time Baekhyun can see him this close up, moonlight aiding his discoveries. For the first time he notices the way his long eyelashes cast a shadow across his cheeks, or how the worry lines usually at home on his forehead have disappeared entirely. He waits, until he's sure he's fully asleep, to reach out a hand, place it on his chest, feel the steady thrum of his heart and the unwavering rhythm of his breaths. Like always, he synchronises his own to it, but this time he knows it's accurate.

Slowly, keeping time with the prince at last, he lets sleep take him.

♤

Birds are singing when he comes back to consciousness. He didn't think any would actually be living out here, given the conditions, but some had clearly found a way. He listens to them sing for a while, his eyes closed, the way he would on a rare day off in Heddyn. But here there are more sounds: the soft wail of the wind, the flurry of snow hitting the wooden deck outside, and something else, something closer.

He opens his eyes. Chanyeol is watching him, an utterly indecipherable expression on his face, the closest to relaxed he's ever looked waking. It's so distracting, in fact, that Baekhyun doesn't even realise he still has his hand on Chanyeol's chest for another little while.

Pulling it back as soon as he clocks it, he looks away. "I'm sorry. You should've woken me up."

"You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you," is all he says, that edge of snark and sarcasm from the previous night entirely vanished.

"Well. Thank you," is all Baekhyun can think to say. Sitting up, he feels his robe slipping off his shoulder, and he covers it again with haste. From the very limits of his vision he sees Chanyeol, still watching.

This vibe follows them to breakfast, a traditional meal that Junmyeon sets out for them before leaving the room.

"Why doesn't he eat with us?" Baekhyun asks, trying to cut through the atmosphere with some degree of normalcy.

"He never does. Traditional values, I think - his sense of propriety would never allow it," he mentions between sips of warm tea.

"So it's not just Heddyn-folk who can be old-fashioned," he laughs a little nervously.

"I guess not," is all Chanyeol offers in return.

Once dressed for the trek, covered in masses of thick fabric, feet outfitted with heavy-duty boots and scarves wrapped up around their faces, they bid a temporary goodbye to Junmyeon. The sun has started peaking over the horizon, and it seems everything in this place moves in slow motion, here at the edge of the world.

No horses would go up these slopes, and any machinery they attempted to use would not be able to stand the cold. So they walk. Baekhyun keeps a gloved hand in Chanyeol's, his heat running through him and keeping his blood pumping. It finally makes sense why Lumïrian royals must marry outside their kind, must birth children in control of both cold and heat. If they didn't, they simply wouldn't survive the task only they could do.

Getting to the top feels like it takes an age, but even so the sun has barely risen any further. From the peak, Baekhyun looks out across the kingdom, and he can vaguely see it all, the fisheries, the mines, the markets. Up here, where the air is crisp and the sky is clear, they all feel a world away. He can see the moon up here too, larger than he's ever seen it.

And then he sees Chanyeol, still holding his hand, pulling the scarf from his face to take one, two, three deep breaths before closing his eyes. There's a shift, somehow. Things are different than before, and Baekhyun can almost make out a faint glimmer around the prince, a little warp to the air around him. It's hypnotic, and Baekhyun is only snapped out of the trance by the pressure on his hand, the prince gripping it tighter than ever.

And it begins. Those unmistakable tendrils stretch from his fingers out, but how they act now is different. There's no need for artistry here, no statues needed to be sculpted or shows to be performed. Chanyeol puts his focus into power - after all, his work today will spread across all four kingdoms, not just his own.

Baekhyun has never seen anything like it. Never has he known one person have a Trait so strong, no doubt cultivated over years of learning and practice. It's no wonder that people came to follow his ancestors all those years ago, if this is what they can do.

Once his work is done, he freezes in place for a while, watching his handiwork take form as snow begins to fall across the lands. The shimmer starts to fade, and once it dissipates entirely, Chanyeol bows formally.

"Thank you for allowing me your power," he says, voice clear even over the constant murmur of the wind.

His hand is shaking a little now, obviously overwhelmed. Baekhyun strokes his thumb across his palm in reassurance, eyes widening as Chanyeol turns to him. There are tears in the prince's eyes, neither happy nor sad; rather moved in a way Baekhyun will never be able to relate to. And when Chanyeol cups his face with his free hand, the one that had just welcomed winter to the world, he lets him. He watches as Chanyeol takes in his face, before settling once more on his eyes.

He waits, expecting a kiss. After the way things went this morning, that would be the logical outcome, and at this point he wouldn't resist it. But Chanyeol doesn't kiss him. He just keeps staring.

Their conversation from that first training session suddenly replays in Baekhyun's mind, and he looks away at once.

A pause. "Why," Chanyeol asks, somehow audible despite everything.

"I'm still figuring out my feelings," Baekhyun tells him, unable to meet his eyes, too afraid of seeing the same hurt there which he can hear in his voice. "And you've just been through a lot. I wouldn't put it past you to act on impulse now, and I don't want you to do something you'd only end up regretting."

Baekhyun waits for a reply, but nothing comes. They trek back down the mountain in silence. Inside the lodge again, their hands separate naturally, but for some reason it makes Baekhyun feel restless. He wonders if Chanyeol feels the same, but he can't muster up the courage to ask him.

As feels commonplace now, they ride back with no words exchanged between them, Chanyeol invested in a book, Baekhyun staring out of the window. It feels almost like they're back at the starting point again, and Baekhyun hates it, hates the distance between them. He still stands by what he's said, but it's apparent that Chanyeol had understood him differently than what he meant. He's not sure how to make him see things the way he does.

Night has fallen again by the time they return to the palace, the staff helping them with their bags and taking them up to their room in careful silence, so as not to wake the others. Seeing the two beds makes Baekhyun's heart drop for some reason, even though he had slept soundly in this situation only two nights ago. As he settles into his own bed, feeling too hesitant to join Chanyeol in his, he dreads what will be another night in the pitch darkness.

The temperature is ramped up to a new high. It's hard to breathe, and he can feel himself growing more and more faint. Unable to bear it anymore he leaves the room. That night, Baekhyun spends the night in one of the guest rooms, feeling more alone than ever.

♤

Preparations for the engagement party begin a few days later. It's only in the fleeting moments where the two of them are required to agree on something that Baekhyun even sees Chanyeol; the prince had resolved to avoid him completely. The staff, ever-perceptive, don't miss this either.

"I know you won't have hurt young master," Chef Yoo says one day. "He's just been through a lot of pain in his life, and he's sensitive, but he'll come around soon enough, I'm sure of it."

Baekhyun isn't sure whether she's trying to assure him, or herself.

"All the royals are coming to the palace today, right?" Seulgi styles his hair on the morning of the event. Jongin had given both him and Chanyeol complimentary white and navy suits, the emblematic colours of House Park. "That's never happened before. And it will be the first time Prince Kyungsoo will be visiting since-" she stops abruptly, catching herself.

"I keep hearing about that, but what happened there?" Baekhyun asks, at this point frustrated over being the only one out of the know.

Seulgi checks her surroundings, before leaning in, voice hushed. "Prince Kyungsoo and His Highness were betrothed since just after the war ended. There never seemed to be any problems, and they got along pretty well. It was an ideal match, and they even had an engagement date set, until suddenly Prince Kyungsoo called off the entire thing one day." She mists his hair, gathering it up with her comb. "Prince Kyungsoo never provided much of an explanation, not even to his own family. Prince Chanyeol believes it was his own inadequacy that caused it."

"But there could have been so many other reasons-"

"Exactly, Mr Byun. To you and I, that much is clear," she smiles sadly. "But when you believe in your own inadequacies so much, that's all you'd be able to think of too."

Baekhyun just can't understand it. He himself has the same insecurities, but they're at least founded. Chanyeol, whose two Traits are so immensely powerful, simply has no reason to feel that way. He can't help but think so even as he stands next to the man, in his full royal splendour.

The first few guests to arrive are the locals, the ministers and other such dignitaries. A little later, a lavish carriage of purple and gold rolls up. Two very tall and lean-bodied young royals step out, before aiding a third, much older one out. Their sun-kissed skin is a dead giveaway: they are Ardientan.

"Our cousins, and our aunt, the current reigning monarch," Yoora whispers as they approach.

"Look at you, Chanyeol. My how you've grown," the older lady grins, enveloping him in a hug. Despite her age, she seems completely in shape.

"Indeed he has," the female cousin teases. As seems to be a requirement with royals, she's stunning, hair above her shoulders and somewhat curled. "I remember when he used to have to look up to speak to me. And now he's even taller than Minho!"

"Shut up, Sooyoung," the man in their ensemble says, before crashing into Chanyeol with a bear hug. "Great job on the solstice, brother. I'm so proud of you."

Baekhyun watches this whole exchange in wordless awe. These are parts of Chanyeol he doesn't know, or is yet to find.

The three of them approach him next, judging for just a second before they've accepted him. "You must be the one," Sooyoung grins, clasping his hands between hers. "Please keep our Chanyeol happy, will you?"

He nods, and he means it.

Minho claps twice, gesturing at an unseen employee outside, who enters not a moment later with a heavy-looking crate of some sort. "Engagement present, from our side. Hope you like pomegranates," Minho beams. Seungil calls for them to be taken inside, before entering some rambunctious conversation with Minho.

Yoora rolls her eyes. "Kyungho couldn't make it?"

"He'll be here, he's just being held up with work. But he wouldn't miss this for the world, trust me," Sooyoung winks at Chanyeol. Later in the day when he finally walks in, Seulgi would mention to Baekhyun that Chanyeol was the one who had set Sooyoung and her husband up in the first place.

"Look who else is here," Yoora claps twice before catching herself, just in time for them to spot what both they and Baekhyun recognise as a Heddyn carriage, with its tones of browns and greens. Baekhyun senses Chanyeol stiffen next to him as the door opens.

Baekhyun had seen the Heddyn royal family of course, during rallies and ceremonies and the like, through the gaps between the raised hands of cheering crowds. Without the exalted distance though, it's striking how normal they are. They're beautiful, no doubt, as all the royals are, but for the first time in Baekhyun's life, they seem human.

"Chanyeol, good to see you again," Heddyn's king laughs heartily, considerable gut bouncing slightly as he pats him hard on the shoulder. His family members seem a little sheepish about his overt joviality, but also completely used to it. "And you," he stands before Baekhyun now, almost assessing him. "It's an honour that one of our folk has been chosen to form this union, in what I'm sure will be an invaluable alliance. I hope you'll represent us well, Mr Byun."

His words are all lofty praise, but there's a hint of thinly veiled resentment there. Baekhyun pretends not to hear it. "Of course, Your Majesty," he acquiesces.

Next are his wife, followed by the oldest son and future king, his heavily pregnant wife in tow. They all seem nice enough, exchanging the usual pleasantries with ease. The air seems to shift, however, when the younger prince walks in.

"Chanyeol," he smiles, gaze lingering for a moment on the silver band on his finger. "It's good to see you. Congratulations on your engagement."

Baekhyun spots Chanyeol's jaw clench a bit even as he reciprocates the polite smile.

"Thank you. And likewise, I'm glad you could make it." Abruptly he pulls Baekhyun close with an arm around his waist. "This is my fiancé, Baekhyun."

"Hello," Baekhyun blurts, still a little disoriented.

"Hi," Kyungsoo says, also left a little stunned. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. When I heard that Chanyeol's future partner is one of our people, I admit I was very curious. Looking at you, I understand why he chose you." He spares a glance at Chanyeol's hand still firm at Baekhyun's waist, before looking directly at his ex's face. "It's clear the both of you are very close."

Chanyeol says nothing further, and Kyungsoo takes a seat with the rest of his family at one of the various tables in the banquet hall, the setup completely different from the long tables of the welcoming banquet. "The party from Vitríl are due to join us in a while," Chanyeol mentions under his breath, the first he's spoken directly to Baekhyun all day. "We ought to socialise with our guests in the meantime, however."

Baekhyun can't object, following Chanyeol's lead as much as he hates the passivity of it all.

"Tell us more about yourself, Baekhyun. What did you do before you joined House Park?" Sooyoung asks, husband now in tow. He'd talked to Seungil for a moment before the latter had to set off for some kind of errand.

Baekhyun stutters, "I worked on a farm."

"Really? That must have been hard work," she nods, not a hint of judgement in her voice or expression. "But you must have really impressed our Chanyeol for him to propose after just one meeting. He's not exactly the type to fall in love at first sight, but it looks like you managed it."

He wants to refute it, tell them it was anything but, but he's aware of the watchful glares of those around him, fully expecting a perfectly happy couple even as the air between him and Chanyeol is heavier than ever.

Minho looks around him, speaking low when he knows there's no one else listening, particularly Chanyeol. "After Kyungsoo broke his heart we weren't sure he'd ever open up to someone like that again. Good thing you came along, hm?"

The conversation reverberates in his head even as he moves to talk to the Heddyn party, where Kyungsoo seems a little apprehensive of the food selection. "Ah, I always avoided this when we visited. I just don't think seafood is for me," he says, starting to push his plate away.

Baekhyun notices Chanyeol tense up from the corner of his eye. "Try it at least," he sputters, and Kyungsoo regards him with bewilderment. "We selected the salmon ourselves, and I gave preparation directions to the chefs myself as I think it could fit the Heddyn palate. Please try it," he smiles, collecting himself from his faux pas.

Kyungsoo, though doubtful, does cut a small piece off, taking just a tiny bite. Saying nothing for a moment, leaving them all in quiet anticipation, he eventually nods in concession. "That is quite lovely, I must admit. It's a shame I'll only be able to eat it when we're here, though."

"I think we can arrange something regarding that," Baekhyun smiles, celebrating on the inside. The positive feelings continue, as some more familiar faces arrive.

"How's my best friend?" Jongdae laughs, hugging Baekhyun after so long. Baekhyun had missed that whiny cackle of his more than he had realised, taking his friend, in his finest (probably rented) attire, in for a moment. "Hey, don't get so emotional on me, I'm not used to it. Anyways, the others are just coming up now so save the waterworks."

There's nothing he can say when his family arrives. All he can do is hold them, breathe in their presence, fill up the gauge he didn't even know was dangerously empty. He had known they were coming, of course, he had invited them themselves in his letters, but actually seeing them now is something else entirely. The familiar weight of Baekbeom's hand on the back of his head, Gayoung's smile kind as ever, and Baekhee, slightly bigger than how he remembered her, saying the odd word of speech every now and again instead of simply the baby babble she used before. Baekhyun retrieves the beagle plush from his pocket, and she claps excitedly, but doesn't try to take it at all, clinging to him instead.

Chanyeol watches the exchange, motionless, almost like he's afraid of getting in the way. Baekhee definitely views him with a strange amount of agitation, even going so far as to cry when he stands anywhere near her, something Minseok and Yoora find particularly entertaining.

"I apologise for my brother, it seems all children are scared of him. My own son is the same," says Yoora, curtseying before them. "Thank you for blessing our family with your brother."

Baekbeom shakes his head, ruffled. "It's our honour that you chose him, truly."

"And thank you so much for the help your family has given us," Gayoung says, bowing on her own. "You don't know how much it means, how much things have changed for us."

The meal continues smoothly now, and Baekhyun feels much more at ease now that his loved ones are here, a safety net to catch him if he ever needs to fall back. He can be a little more daring now, he feels, as the guests begin to open up to each other more, mingling amongst themselves naturally.

Just as he thinks this though, a hush falls over the crowd. The Vitríl royals have arrived.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard you'd invited them," Minho whispers to Chanyeol as he stands, "and to think they'd actually turn up?"

"Calm yourself, Minho," Sooyoung says, on guard herself.

"We're glad the two of you could make it to this celebration," Chanyeol's father says, ever the model of calm and composure, a relaxed smile on his face that could disarm even a hostile soldier, if needed.

"Thank you for having us," Soojung says, slowly but deliberate. Her and Sehun assess the room, seeing the eyes of every other guest staring back. "I apologise for our lateness."

"It's not a problem at all," Baekhyun says, remembering the cue to not bow when it isn't necessary.

"We hope you'll enjoy your time here," Chanyeol says, still slightly frozen but getting better.

They take their seats, an aura around them which seems to almost dispel anyone from trying to approach them. Even the staff seem to think twice before attending to them, laying down their plates with bowed heads and mouths pressed into firm lines. Honestly, it kind of reminds Baekhyun of the way people would avoid him at school, though obviously with more trauma behind this.

Kyungsoo goes up to them quite easily, though, initiating conversation without a second thought. Seeing everyone else's reluctance, however, Baekhyun knows they must act. Taking a deep breath, he grabs Chanyeol's arm, pulling him towards them.

"Ah, you two. We were just discussing fabrics. Vitrílic cotton is famed, you know. Much smoother than the wool in Heddyn, and cheaper than silk, too," Kyungsoo starts, before looking the two of them up and down. "That tailor of yours certainly knows his way around silk though, considering it's an imported material for you all."

"Well, Jongin does insist on joining us during our excursions for that reason alone, to test the materials," Chanyeol says, before turning to the Vitrílic royals. "We are in need of more fabrics though, especially for our miners. Wool and the humidity of the underground aren't cohesive, as I'm sure you're aware."

Soojung ponders this, tapping a delicate finger against her chin, focusing on each of them individually. "You're in need of cotton, and we're in need of oil," she tilts her head. "I think it's quite apparent what we need to do, no?"

The Ardientan royals, who had been watching from a distance, can't help but saunter over to where the conversation is occurring, even though their movements are still awkward. The engagement celebration had all been a farce, after all - these deals had been the real reason any of them had attended.

After a while like this, Minseok cuts through the crowd, concern apparent on his face as he leans up to whisper in Chanyeol's ear.

"What?" His alarmed shout has the attention of the whole room all at once.

"Hey, get your hands off of me," another yelling voice begins. Multiple guards are dragging a man into the centre of the room. The CMO throws down a box of pomegranates, the ones gifted by Ardienta. "Stop! Is this how you behave with me? Let me go!"

Baekhyun can't quite make out who it is by how much he's struggling, but when he finally stills, so does Baekhyun's heart, slowly putting together what's about to come next and hoping for anything but.

"Whatever you're trying to accuse me of, I didn't do it," says Seungil, exhausted after all that struggling.

"Don't try it, young man. These pomegranates were tampered with, poisoned," the First Minister explains out loud, much to the horror of the crowd. Baekhyun feels his throat closing up, Chanyeol simply stays frozen. "Multiple staff saw you messing with the presents. And our senior guard Minseok saw you too, with his own eyes. Are you calling them liars?"

"There must be some kind of mistake or misunderstanding," he shouts, trying to tear away with one last ditch effort but being held down. There are cuffs around his wrists, so tight that they'd suppress his Trait, the kind commonly used on criminals.

"Unless you mean to accuse the Ardientan royal family of conspiring against us," Uncle Kim says, not seeming to notice the immense pain flash upon Sooyoung and Minho's face upon hearing these words. "All our sources so far have indicated an insurgent group. And which outsider would know the ins and outs of our kingdom than you?"

"Yoora, you believe me, right," Seungil pleads with his wife, but she can't even face him. "Yoora?"

"How could you," she screams, covering her face, shame flowing through her. "Knowing what it's like, and after everything we've shared. You wanted Yoosung to grow up in a world like we did?" Wiping her tears, she looks more broken than Baekhyun could ever imagine even capable of her. "How could you," she repeats. In those three words, every drop of pent up anger, hurt, and suffering that Baekhyun had heard during his time in Lumïr is concentrated to a deadly level, almost physically hard to endure. "I don't want to see you anymore." She turns on her high heels and walks, not looking back once.

"Yoora, wait, please listen-"

"That's enough, son, she's heard enough," the minister sets a hand on his shoulder, and a look of utter defeat settles on Seungil's face. "Take him away, boys."

He's walked away by the guards, unresisting, as the crowd of onlookers watch the show in shock, gossiping among themselves.

"He's an Ardientan, you know."

"They were the reason we were dragged into the war in the first place, and now they want another?"

"I've long thought that marrying outside of Lumïr is unnecessary, but now it seems dangerous. They'll always have the interests of their own kingdom at heart, never ours."

Chanyeol's cousins sit there, until the words become too much to bear. Minho stands, glaring at the crowd in anger, the Lumïrian elite who suddenly go quiet. Sooyoung grabs his hand, stops him from going any further. "I think it's best we take our leave, Chanyeol, Baekhyun," she says, getting to her feet. "Good luck to you both."

Neither of them can fathom what to say as the Ardientan royals march out, heads held high. Soon after, Heddyn's party leave without much noise.

Before Vitríl's leave, however, Soojung approaches them. Every guard in the room has their eyes trained on the interaction with utmost focus, but she doesn't even flinch. "There's something else going on here. Keep your wits about you," she says to Baekhyun in a voice so low that no one else could hear it, offering no further explanations to a confused Baekhyun, before gracefully drifting back to her ensemble and disappearing into the night.

Baekbeom and Gayoung stand by them, Baekhee clearly able to sense the heightened stress in the room. The toddler takes Baekhyun's hand in her own tiny one, doing what she's used to, and Baekhyun thinks there's no one in the world he loves more.

The other guests have started filing out, chatting among themselves once more. "Is it even safe to let that Heddyn boy marry in? He's a commoner, and his Trait is nothing special," one woman fans herself.

"I heard he and his brother left home, and that the state doesn't even recognise his brother's marriage," someone else says. Gayoung winces, and Baekbeom holds her closer.

"Is there a lack of suitable Lumïrian noblemen? Anyone would be better than a Heddyn-folk gold digger-"

"Enough!" Chanyeol roars, taking everyone aback. He's heaving with anger, more than Baekhyun's ever seen, much like his sister just a few minutes ago. "Those who have no idea what they're saying, and choose to spew such hateful nonsense, you are not welcome here. Every single one of you, out at once."

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun says. Baekhee releases his hand and he grabs Chanyeol, just in time to make the flames in his fists visible. "Stop. It's not worth it."

The crowd has started to rush out now, the chatter lessened but still not gone.

"The prince would never talk to his own people like that. Did you see that Heddyn boy talking to the Vitríl girl earlier? I don't trust him."

Baekhyun does his best to soothe him, until the heat at least disappears. Baekhee grabs for Chanyeol's pinkie finger, having to jump a little to do so.

Chanyeol resists the instinctive urge to pull away when Baekhyun tells him to let her do her thing. By the time the hall is empty, they've managed to calm him down fully.

"I think it's best if we leave now," Baekbeom says.

"Wait," another deep voice chimes in. Chanyeol's father regards the situation. "Your daughter has a gift. Mine is hurting right now." He approaches them, stopping them from bowing, real concern in his eyes. "I humbly request you to stay a while longer. Yoora needs her help badly," he says, gesturing to the dazzled toddler.

"O-of course," Baekbeom and Gayoung say in unison. The king calls a maid, likely leading them to a guest room.

"I need to go, Baekhyun. I have the interview for that job tomorrow," Jongdae says apologetically.

"Of course, don't worry about it. I'll write you soon. Good luck," he says, before watching his best friend disappear through the doorway. Once he turns back, he catches father and son mid-conversation.

"I was doubtful, before, whether you were ready for this. Ruling is about much more than bringing in the seasons. It requires a strong will in the face of adversity."

Chanyeol keeps his head down, eyes on the ground like a schoolboy being reprimanded by a teacher.

"Your actions today showed me that you have that," he says.

His son's head shoots up just in time to notice his father's proud smile.

"Standing up for yourself and those you love can be difficult. If you can't do that, there's no way you could do the same for your people. But you proved your strength today. And you," he turns, addressing Baekhyun now. "Entering this family from a foreign land, and then facing rumours and comments like that, I've seen first-hand how damaging they can be. It would have been easy for you to leave, but you didn't waiver once." He bows, leaving Baekhyun flustered. "I'm glad to give my son to someone as strong as you."

He says no more, retiring to his quarters with the aid of a guard.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol are left alone in the wasteland of what only a few hours earlier was a celebration dedicated to them. Plates, some with food still unfinished, glasses of wine left half-full. The chandelier, opulent as ever, beams down on only the two of them. It all feels a little twisted, and they get out of there as soon as they can.

Their bedroom is familiar, a home within their home, almost. The clothes, tailored to fit them perfectly, suddenly feel much too tight. They strip them off wordlessly, until they're just in their underwear. Chanyeol slips into his bed as is, not expecting Baekhyun to follow him in.

"I was afraid," Baekhyun utters breathlessly, eyes shut. "When you looked at me, ready to marry me, I was afraid your feelings would change." He covers his face. "In Heddyn, if your Trait is useless, so are you. Being with a weakling holds you back. I held my brother back, depending on him all this time. As for Jongdae, there's more things he can do, but he's stuck where he is because of me."

The sheets had not been changed this morning amid all the other preparations, and they smell like Chanyeol. For some reason, the scent transports him back to his own bed in Heddyn, to the tiny nooks and crannies of his home.

"Ask any of them and they won't care, Baekhyun," Chanyeol insists, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "And you don't hold me back. You've pushed me further than I ever thought I could go."

"You say it, but it's hard to believe," Baekhyun leans into his touch. "Being taught this way ever since you're a child, it's hard to push through it." He looks up at him through his eyelashes. "You understand that better than most."

He hesitates, unsure of what words to use. "We can try. Both of us."

They embrace, skin on skin, trying to heal. It would be easy, natural even, to turn this innocent intimacy into something different, but neither crosses the boundary just yet. They've got some work cut out for them before they can take that first step.

♤

The next day at breakfast, Yoora takes her place at the table with eyes red and swollen.

Baekbeom eats next to his brother, still quite awkward in this setting. He had helped the king with his bad back that morning, receiving much more praise than he's used to, and now seems overly anxious about whether he's using the correct etiquette.

Gayoung doesn't struggle to get Baekhee to eat, as she quite bizarrely seems to have a taste for the local cuisine. She's extended her care to look after Yoosung while Yoora recovers. Baekhee remains astonished that children younger than herself exist. Ever the old soul, she puts up no complaints when her mother is away from her with another child.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun spend all the time they can together. Utilising Madame Kim's services they're able to go out into town. They continue what they started on that first trip together, bringing their findings to the court, and occasionally getting some time to themselves amid work. With Seungil behind bars and the search for the threat shifted to Ardienta, the Lumïrian royal couple enjoy their rare moments of freedom. Baekhyun has never known so much snow in his life - Lumïr has 27 different words for it in all its forms, and with Chanyeol he learns them all.

They sleep in comfortable room temperature now. The other bed was removed, now that they no longer need it. Baekhyun wonders what his old self would have to say about him sleeping in the same bed as a man he's not yet married to, but decides it doesn't matter. Not once does Chanyeol push him into anything he doesn't want, nor does he act while he's asleep, even if it would be easy to.

More and more these days, he wishes he would do something. But he dares not say it.

Days turn to weeks turn to months. It had taken Yoora a month to get better. She's still not fully fine, but when the Byuns leave for Heddyn, she's at least talking again.

Despite everything, they've been able to codify a trade deal with Vitríl, investing the money from selling oil and metals en masse into new boats for the fisheries. Baekhyun had managed to convince Prince Kyungsoo on the virtues of salmon, and of course, anything favoured by the royals in Heddyn would become popular among the locals as well.

Sometimes he wonders how different things would have been if, back on the farm that day, he had refused the proposal, and the matter had ended there. Maybe Chanyeol would be engaged to someone else right now, and he'd still be digging up potatoes. But these thoughts don't linger too long, not when he has so much work to do, nor when he's out with Chanyeol, spending another night staring up at the stars.

One day their date of sorts leads them to another location. Normally they'd use the masking, but today Chanyeol insists that he wants to see Baekhyun's face as it truly is. With a lot of planning and evading the public, they make it to a tiny shop tucked away behind the public gardens. From the outside, it seems like a regular little cafe, the aroma of freshly baked bread and strawberry shortcake emanating from the kitchen. But that's not what they're there to see. There's a greenhouse out of the back of the cafe, largely obscured from view.

"Is this what you've been disappearing off to do every few days," Baekhyun says, dazzled by the spectacle. The room, quite large, is lined with cherry blossom trees all around, their petals in what feels like a perpetual state of falling, but the trees never growing bare. The fruit Heddyn had known growing up sprout from trees all around them, as do the flowers: daisies, dandelions, pink and white roses as far as the eye can see. A man-made stream runs through the centre of it all, lapping up against the banks of real Heddyn soil.

"I know it's not as good as the real thing," Chanyeol says, voice trembling slightly with anxiousness as he looks up at the open sky. "But I hope this makes you miss home even a little less." He waits for a response, but when none comes for a long time, he finds Baekhyun watching him. "What?"

"Nothing," Baekhyun smiles, "it's just fun to watch you sometimes."

And he keeps smiling, even as they eat the leek and potato soup he had missed so much from back home, and even as the sun sets over the horizon. This place, just far out enough from the factories and suburban areas, has the clearest sky you could ask for within the limits of the capital.

The moon illuminates Chanyeol's face, and Baekhyun finally feels like he's home.

♤

As quickly as it had come, it soon becomes time for winter to leave.

Yoora stares out of the window, sipping her hot chocolate and wrapped up in a cashmere shawl. She looks over as her brother and Baekhyun enter the room. Three months ago she would have behaved very differently, but she's not that person anymore.

"You look like you're finally being fed properly," she says to Baekhyun once Chanyeol has stepped out for a moment, attempting to mimic her jovial past. "Well, that might just be because you aren't sweating out your body weight every night."

Her shawl slips, and Baekhyun notices a rather large mark on her back that he'd never seen before. "Yoora, are you okay?"

She's confused for a second before understanding dawns. "Oh that? That's from when we were kids. We were asleep in the same room. I let things get too cold in there, and Chanyeol gave me that in his sleep."

"Is that the day he got his scar?"

She tilts her head. "Oh, that," she leans her face into her own palm. "No, that was me. His own Trait can't hurt him, after all. That was my instinctual way of making him stop." Pulling the shawl back up, she takes another sip. "To think he's willing to share a bed with you shows he's finally starting to trust himself."

Just as he finishes her sentence, a shrill scream bursts from somewhere in the palace.

Baekhyun's on his feet immediately. "Stay here, I'll go find out what's going on," he tells Yoora, rushing off before she can say anything. He curses the number of rooms in the house, each one coming up empty. Finally there's only one room left, and he heads there, dread in his heart.

A stranger stands in his bedroom, large body occupying the space he doesn't belong in. Seulgi struggles in his grasp, knife to her throat.

Moving without a plan, Baekhyun bounds forward. "Let her go."

Startlingly, he does, smiling sadistically as he grabs Baekhyun, leaving Seulgi to catch her breath. "Be a good girl and go get your little prince, if you don't want Mr Byun here to get hurt."

She's still heaving when she scurries off. Baekhyun tries to break free, but it's useless. He can only pray that his prince will come save him.

His prayers are answered quicker than he thought. "Unhand him," Chanyeol growls, standing in the doorway, but the assailant doesn't loosen his grip on Baekhyun's arm.

The cold steel stings against Baekhyun's flesh as the man presses it across his neck, not deep enough to draw blood, but enough to make its presence known. Aside from that, it feels like all the strength in his body has left him, no doubt a result of whatever Trait the enemy is using to weaken him.

"We lost so much in the war, one that wasn't even ours to fight," the stranger finally speaks, voice dripping with hate, strangely familiar. "Those Vitrílic bastards took so much from us, and we commoners suffered so much, only for you royals to end it with false calls for peace? That is not a compromise, but a surrender."

"You're wrong," Baekhyun gasps, barely able to get the words out. "If they had not stopped when they did, countless more lives would have been lost."

"Keep your mouth shut, Heddyn scum," the man yells, grip on Baekhyun tightening as Chanyeol takes another step forward. "Your kind didn't help us during the war, not even sending supplies. While you ate to your heart's content, Lumïrians starved. And now you want to rule over us? Disgusting."

"You have no right to call him that," Chanyeol shouts, one of the few times he's ever raised his voice. "He's the reason Lumïr is flourishing today. He's made me a better man," Chanyeol says, raising his arm, "and he will make me a better king."

Instead of cowering in front of the royal, the masked man actually smirks. "Your ice Trait is not offensive, I know, and your mutant Trait, your fire," he pauses, "you wouldn't dare use it without your lover here, certainly not in his direction."

This makes Chanyeol's hand falter slightly, and Baekhyun can see the fear setting in his eyes. "Don't listen to him, Chanyeol," Baekhyun croaks as the man grabs his neck. "I trust you."

The sight of the man grabbing Baekhyun by the chin is enough to snap Chanyeol out of it. "Get your filthy hands off of him," he roars, letting the invisible flames erupt from his palms.

Instantaneously, Baekhyun feels a scorching heat surrounding him, and over the sounds of burning he can make out the cries of the man who has now released him. Baekhyun falls to the floor, loathing himself for being so powerless. The man keeps screaming, and Baekhyun manages to tilt his head up, to catch the terrifying anger in the prince's eyes.

If he's not stopped now, he could do something unthinkable.

"Chanyeol, stop," Baekhyun makes the effort to shout over the crackling of the flames. "Stop!"

And suddenly, the heat is gone. Chanyeol stares at his hands in shock, even as Yoora rushes into his back, tears in her eyes, sobbing heavily. Even as the guards rush into the room, grabbing the attacker only to fall back in shock once they see his face, disguise fallen away. And even as Minseok, feeling the sting of betrayal deep in his heart, orders the others to arrest his uncle, dragging the once great man away from the room in shame.

In fact, nothing brings him back to reality, until one sentence is spoken.

"Baekhyun, your hands!"

With how fast things had happened, the adrenaline pumping in his veins and the residual numbness brought about by the assailant's Trait, Baekhyun hadn't even noticed the burns on his hands. He still barely registers them, even looking directly at them, despite being able to tell that they're serious. He looks up at Chanyeol, hoping to ground himself in this moment of confusion; but when he does, he doesn't see his prince, but the wide-open eyes of a terrified young man.

And then the energy leaves his body altogether, and his view fades to black.

♤

When he wakes next, the sun has already risen.

He tries to sit up using his hands, only for the pain to rush in all at once. He winces, dropping back onto the bed unceremoniously. His movements wake a sleeping Yoora, who was napping by his bedside.

"You're awake," she says, rubbing her eyes. Dried tear tracks streak down her cheeks. "Send for Chanyeol immediately," she ushers to one of the maids, who nods and rushes off.

"How is he," Baekhyun rasps, throat exceedingly dry. Yoora fills a cup of water on the nightstand, tilting it gradually into Baekhyun's mouth. "How is Chanyeol," Baekhyun repeats himself, now speaking a bit clearer.

"He's fine. Still a little in shock, but no injuries. You should be worried about yourself right now, Baekhyun," Yoora says. "You're lucky only your hands were hurt. You had the good sense to cover your face during the fire, even if it was just on instinct."

"Uncle Kim-"

"He's in jail. Both him and his wife. She admitted to disguising someone else as Seungil to get rid of him. They wanted only native Lumïrians in our court." She shakes her head. "Poor Minseok. He keeps apologising for being tricked, even when he's the one feeling most betrayed right now, I'm sure."

He can't work out whether it's more appropriate to congratulate her for getting her husband back, or consoling her for the time lost. He doesn't have to think much longer, though, as the door suddenly opens.

Chanyeol, despite what Yoora had said, does not look okay. His face is haggard, clearly showing signs of no sleep that whole night. His hair and clothes are dishevelled. His eyes are bloodshot.

"Yoora, leave us."

His sister, who would normally put up a fuss when spoken to that way, now does as he says without a word of complaint. Chanyeol moves aside slightly to let her out through the door, but once she's gone he makes no moves to get closer to Baekhyun, instead staying frozen where he is.

"Our healer did as much as he could, but I don't think it was enough to undo most of the damage to your hands," he speaks, strangely clinical. "I think it would be best for you to go back to Heddyn and get treated by your brother, whose abilities are far greater."

Baekhyun ponders this for a moment. "If you get a message sent over to him, he can come here-"

"I'm telling you to go back to Heddyn, Baekhyun," Chanyeol says, voice firmer than before, fists clenched. "And not to come back again."

"I- I don't understand," Baekhyun sputters. "Chanyeol, look at me."

He doesn't. "I should have known that getting involved with anyone else would only lead to suffering," Chanyeol says under his breath. "I can't hurt anyone again, so I will rule by myself." He stares into the ground.

Baekhyun hates that he can't think of anything that will convince him to let him stay. He hates that these walls that had been crumbling for months have reappeared overnight, taller than ever. And he hates that Chanyeol won't look at him.

"The healer has some painkillers to give you, and after taking them you will leave straight away," Chanyeol says, an order, not a request.

"Chanyeol, please look at me," Baekhyun says tears welling up in his eyes.

There's a moment's hesitation in Chanyeol's grip on the door handle, but only a moment, before he leaves without a goodbye.

♤

Once the door is open, Baekbeom hardly has the time to be surprised before Baekhyun falls into his arms, distraught.

He had told himself to pull it together, but the look of concern on his older brother's face had been too much for Baekhyun to handle, so he caves into his emotions once more.

"What happened, Baekhyun," Baekbeom tries to comfort him, pulling him inside and to a seat. "You're hurt," he says, noticing the bandages, but also sensing something much deeper. Whether it's his instinct as a doctor or a brother, he doesn't know; but he does know that Baekhyun is in pain, and needs healing.

"It's over," Baekhyun finally manages to say. "He decided it all on his own. I'm not wanted in his life anymore."

Baekbeom frowns. "What was the reason, Baekhyun? What happened?"

And so he explains. Not just of the events that led up to his rejection, but everything right from the start. Baekbeom sits and listens to it all, saying nothing.

"Baekhyun, can I ask you a question?" Baekbeom finally breaks his silence after his brother finishes. "You left here unwillingly. You wanted to get married for the sake of me and Gayoung," he holds his hand up when Baekhyun, flustered, tries to dispute the point. "Give up the lie. It seemed too good to be true when we found out the court had accepted our officiation, and they hardly kept a secret of who had influenced them either." He holds his head in his hand, massaging his temple. "As I was saying, you left here because you felt like you needed to be of use to us, not because you felt any sort of affection towards the prince." He leans back, pushing his hair back. "But the way you're talking to me now, I feel like that's not the case anymore. Gayoung and I can be together without a problem now, and Baekhee's future is safe, but that's not enough for you anymore, is it?"

Baekhyun sputters, finally realising how ungrateful he must have sounded just then-

"I'm so proud of you," Baekbeom says, crushing him in a hug. "My baby brother finally learned to want things for himself, for once." He pulls away, hands on his shoulders. "That pain that you're feeling in your heart right now is called love, Baekhyun. And from the sounds of it, I can guess your prince must be feeling it just as hard right now."

"There's no way," Baekhyun shakes his head in disbelief. "He sent me away because I couldn't protect myself," Baekhyun mutters.

"You need to give up this self-loathing attitude, little brother," Baekbeom shakes his head with a smile. "Seems your prince has enough for himself already. The reason he sent you away was disappointment in himself, not you."

"Both of you need to trust in yourselves more," Gayoung says, appearing suddenly with her arms crossed and side leaning against the doorframe, visibly rattled by the description of the encounter. "When you think so lowly of yourself, you'll always be left thinking that he can do better, even though that's not true."

Baekhyun remains reluctant to accept this. "Even if what you're saying is true, what now? He told me to leave, and I'm here now. It's over."

"I highly doubt that," Baekbeom assures him with a smile. "Wait it out. I'm sure he'll be rushing to get you back soon enough." He picks up his brother's bandaged hands, still just about numb from the painkillers. "In the meantime, let's get you healed up."

♤

By the next morning, his hands have already healed substantially. Despite Baekbeom's best efforts, though, many of the scars are expected to be permanent. Baekhyun doesn't particularly mind, as long as he can still use them it's all the same to him. Whether Chanyeol would feel the same way, he couldn't help but wonder.

A part of him had expected, or maybe just wished for Chanyeol to be waiting in his room in the morning when he woke up. He hadn't been. He would continuously expect him to burst through the door during breakfast or lunch, extolling Baekhyun's virtues and calling for his return. But he didn't.

Baekhyun leaves the house for a stroll in the afternoon on Baekbeom's recommendation. Preparations for the arrival of Spring are in full swing, what with Dayfull only a week away now. Stalls are being set up to sell a variety of foods in the plaza. Baekhyun remembers the chocolate-coated strawberries always being a favourite of his, as a child. Next to the stall that sells them stands Jongdae, who had asked to meet up earlier that day.

"Long time no see," Jongdae says, embracing his childhood friend after what feels like an age. He holds out a bag of strawberries that he had already purchased in anticipation of his arrival. "Go on."

Smiling sheepishly, Baekhyun takes a strawberry out and bites into it. "They taste different than the ones in Lumïr," he says aloud, more to himself than anyone else.

"I'll be honest, I didn't even know they could grow anything up there until you mentioned it in your letters," Jongdae says as he lines up for one of the game stalls, to knock over a pyramid of cans with a ball for the prize of a large stuffed bear toy.

"I'm still surprised you actually read and replied to those instead of just throwing them aside," Baekhyun spectates him missing his first shot. "You hate reading."

"I couldn't help it, I was curious about your life there," Jongdae elaborates. Second throw, also a miss. "Shit."

"Last time's the charm," Baekhyun laughs.

"So that's what it looks like," Jongdae says, throwing his weight into the third throw, cans collapsing in a loud mess. The clerk hands him the bear, and he takes it with satisfied glee, much to the dismay of the several young children in the queue behind them. "You sounded like you were having so much fun in the letters, I was starting to feel left out, but you get back here and are all mopey again," Jongdae says, handing him the bear.

Baekhyun says nothing in return, only clutching the toy to his chest. It'll be a good toy for Baekhee, at least.

"Byun? Is that you," says a gruff but familiar voice. Baekhyun follows it to find Mr Jung, standing at one of the stalls selling cigarettes.

"Hello, Mr Jung, how are you," he says, the practiced friendliness rolling off his tongue easily and catching everyone a little off-guard. 

"Good, good. We got some young men in to take your spot once you left, and they can be a handful sometimes, though. This one didn't help things, leaving so soon after," he says, gesturing towards Jongdae with a tilt of his chin. "But we needed the help with you gone and the new produce we're handling."

"Carrots, right? I remember Jongdae mentioning," he replies.

"No, no, Kwon managed to monopolise the market on that first, the weasly bastard," he spits before lighting another cigarette. "We made some investments into greenhouses, so we're able to grow pomegranates now. I'm not sure if you know, but they're very popular in Lumïr for some reason. We make more off of exporting a single season of those than we do a whole year of our potatoes."

Smiling despite the stinging in his heart, Baekhyun wishes his old boss good fortune, before rushing away. It seems fate is playing with him, and everywhere he looks there's something else reminding him of the life he had to leave behind. He finds a spot among some trees behind one of the food stalls, where he went be disturbed.

"Baekhyun," Jongdae says when he finally finds him again. "First, don't just run off on me like that. Second, if it hurts, you need to let it out, alright. Bottling it all up like that is only gonna lead to cracks in the glass."

And just like that, Baekhyun can't help it. The tears start to overflow, and when Jongdae pulls him into a hug, he just keeps sobbing. He can't fathom any words to say, and with the comforting way Jongdae pats him on the back, it seems he's not expecting any either.

"You know," Jongdae says once Baekhyun has cried himself out, "I've never seen you cry since that time those kids at school said all that to you, not once. Ever since then, you've been through so much but you never let it show, for the sake of everyone else." He squishes his best friend's face between his hands. "We never asked you to protect us, but you took it upon yourself to do anyways." He releases him, classic grin ready to go yet again. "You and your prince have a lot in common after all. Come on, let's get you home."

Once he arrives back to the house, he's greeted by Baekbeom's serious face staring at a letter apparently just delivered.

"We've been invited to a dinner between the Houses of Heddyn and Lumïr at the city palace," he says, "the three of us."

Gayoung sits across from them, visibly stressed. "Dad will likely be there," she massages her temples. "I had kind of been hanging onto the idea of never seeing him again, but we can't exactly turn down a royal invitation, can we?"

Baekbeom looks at his brother. "It's up to you, Baekhyun. What do you think we should do?"

♤

Baekhyun thinks he must be the only former potato farmer with this many palace-visits on record.

They'd left Baekhee in the care of Jongdae for the night, somewhat reluctantly on Gayoung's end. Kyungsoo greets them as they enter, telling the guards at the door that an ID check isn't necessary.

"I've got you seated with Chanyeol and the rest of House Park. They should be arriving any minute now," he leads them to their seats.

As soon as they walked in, people had started to mutter between themselves. Gayoung looks down, pushing forward, but when her father walks up to their table, it's no longer something she can ignore.

"How exactly did you manage to get in here?" He taps his toe on the carpet, hands in his pockets. "That too with this ungrateful wretch, and his useless little brother."

Gayoung stands. "Enough," she seethes, furious. "I have heard enough. From the people, from you, and myself. You will never make me regret choosing him. Every day I thank the gods you fear so much that I left that prison you call a home. And every day they bless me with seeing my daughter grow."

"Growing in the presence of someone with such a useless Trait?" He laughs, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "That's what lead you astray too."

"Baekhyun is a hundred times the man you will ever be. Just you watch," she leers.

"Is there a problem?" Kyungsoo smiles with the same rehearsed cordiality Chanyeol had used so much. "Mr Lee, I'd appreciate if you could keep your private matters, well, private. Mr Byun Baekhyun and his family are our esteemed guests for the night." He keeps smiling, even as Gayoung's father storms off.

Gayoung lands in her chair. "I've always dreamed of doing something like that," she huffs. "Seeing Chanyeol do it at the engagement party was the last push I needed."

"Speak of the devil," Baekbeom says under his breath.

House Park enter the room in all their regent glory. Yoora skitters forward, hugging Gayoung tightly, and then Baekhyun. The colour has returned to her skin, the bounce to her step. Seungil stands next to her, clearly infatuated.

But of course, Baekhyun isn't looking at them. There was only one person he could see from the moment he walked in the room.

"Hi," Chanyeol says, fidgeting a little.

"Hi," Baekhyun breathes in reply.

It's not like conversation resumes as usual, there's no way it could. They get through their meal mostly in silence, though it's the comfortable kind. He feels electricity spark in him when Chanyeol's hand brushes against his on the way to grab his fork, and it's a bigger spark than any lightning bolt Jongdae could conjure up.

"Where's Minseok?" Baekhyun asks.

"He's outside, taking care of Yoosung," Chanyeol responds.

"He can go hang out with Jongdae then, like a little babysitter's club," he laughs, catching himself as Chanyeol stares at him once more. "I'll go tell him."

It's easy enough to find his way out, to let Minseok know and watch him speed off, baby in tow. Finding his way back takes a little longer; this isn't the palace he's used to, after all.

When he makes it finally, Chanyeol is nowhere to be seen in the crowd now traipsing around the ballroom floor. "If you're looking for my brother," says a tipsy Yoora, hanging off an embarrassed Seungil, "he went out looking for you."

Feeling restless, alone when everyone else is partnered up, he sets off to find his prince.

Surprisingly this doesn't take too long at all - he hadn't gotten very far. He spots his back, just as he opens another door, and is halfway through shouting his name when the situation inside what appears to be a storage room comes to light.

Namely, a certain Heddyn prince engaged in a fairly scandalous act with another familiar, yet totally unexpected, individual.

"Kyungsoo?"

"Jongin?"

"Fuck, listen, we can explain-" Kyungsoo says, Jongin nodding furiously as they attempt to fix their clothes.

Chanyeol slams the door shut, turning on his heel and grabbing Baekhyun by the wrist, running, out of the palace.

"Where are we going?" Baekhyun tells, adrenaline crashing into him a mile a minute.

"Your house. We need to be alone."

They hail a taxi, the driver not asking any questions, too used to rowdy kids out at this time of night.

Once they're home they head straight for his room. Chanyeol crashes onto his bed, holds his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Baekhyun can only stand by him, watching, feeling his heart turn in his chest as he waits for his own head to stop spinning.

"I understand, it must be hard to see your first love with another man like that," he says, rubbing Chanyeol's back and trying to bite back the jealousy he can't help but feel. After all, Chanyeol had grown up with Kyungsoo, thinking they'd marry someday. Whatever Baekhyun had shared with him over the last few months just couldn't compare. He braces himself to hear his fiancé tell him that he had never gotten over Kyungsoo after all, and that their wedding must be called off, because it wouldn't be fair to him.

Instead, Chanyeol shakes his head. When he looks up, there's tears in his eyes; but, to Baekhyun's surprise, they're paired with a smile only ever brought about by actualisation.

"When I got to the door and heard Jongin's voice, I was scared." He stands and takes Baekhyun into his arms with one swift motion, holding him so tight he almost can't breathe, burrowing his face into Baekhyun's hair. "I was scared it would be you he was holding. I barely even realised it was Kyungsoo, I was just so glad it wasn't you." His hand rises to hold the back of Baekhyun's head. "When you got hurt, I told myself I'd let you go, but I can't. I can't even think of you being with anyone else."

Baekhyun feels his heart squeeze, for a different reason now. Chanyeol's chest even through his clothes is warm on Baekhyun's cheek, warmer than ever. He smells like comfort, and Baekhyun can't help but dive in deeper. "I never had any intention of being with anyone but you." He pauses for a moment, then decides to go for it, to say out loud what his heart has been singing for a while now. "I love you, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol pulls back, cupping Baekhyun's face in his large, warm hands. The blissfully surprised look in his eyes makes Baekhyun's heart leap. "I love you too, more than you know. I should've never sent you away. I've been so lonely," he says, stumbling over the words like he's never spoken his mind like that before, and maybe he hasn't. He's always been one for action after all, and even now he leans in.

Baekhyun closes his eyes. He feels the heat radiating off of Chanyeol's face get closer, feels his cool breath brush against his expectant lips. But what he wants doesn't come straight away, and he opens his eyes again.

The prince's eyes are looking straight at Baekhyun's mouth, but he moves no closer. Rather, he speaks. "Baekhyun, I know you're Heddyn-folk, and we're not married yet, so these things are difficult for you, but I'll ask anyway. May I kiss you?"

Baekhyun can't but giggle at his royal courtesy, but he knows he's serious. "I might be Heddyn-folk," he says, cupping Chanyeol's face in return, their eyes meeting again. "But before that, I'm yours. So you may."

Chanyeol doesn't need to be told twice. He pulls Baekhyun into him with such enthusiasm it's a wonder their teeth don't collide. He's so eager, kissing Baekhyun with all he has, hands clumsily dragging from his shoulders to his wrists before finally finding purchase at his waist, where their grip tightens.

It's not Baekhyun's first kiss, but he's not about to break the momentum to tell Chanyeol that kissing before marriage is perfectly acceptable in Heddyn - not after he made such a point of taking him into consideration. But this is his first kiss of its kind: messy, intense, and with someone he loves. He tries to meet Chanyeol's energy, fingers running through that silky hair of his, pulling him closer, neck craning to make up for their difference in height.

But still, it's not enough. Baekhyun wants more of Chanyeol. He can feel him, hard against his thigh, and he wants it, all of it. But he's never done this before.

Chanyeol's given Baekhyun's lips a break, kissing his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, before turning his attention to his neck. His tongue is warm like the rest of him, and Baekhyun tenses under it; his neck had always been sensitive. The prince's hands find the button at the collar of his shirt, and he stops to seek Baekhyun's gaze. "Is it okay?"

He wants to be sarcastic, wants to tell him that he's already seen it all before, so what's stopping him now? Yet another part of him is reminding him how not okay this is in Heddyn, how he'd be exiled from society if anyone finds out, just as his brother and Gayoung had been. But in the moment, he can't bring himself to care. His whole life had been dictated by society's expectations, all of it except the best parts. He's not going to let them get in the way of getting what he wants anymore. And right now, he wants Chanyeol.

He manages a flustered nod before reaching up for Chanyeol's shirt himself. Now it's Chanyeol's turn to be flustered. "Baekhyun, you're sure?"

He nods again, too distracted to even find the words. He's seen Chanyeol naked before, several times, but up close without the complete cover of darkness, it's just different somehow. Baekhyun lets the tips of his fingers trail slowly and softly down the lines and sinews of his body, grinning in satisfaction every time he hears Chanyeol's breath catch ever so slightly in his throat. He can see the muscles under his abs quiver from his touch, and it's exhilarating. His hands keep going, until they reach that line of fine dark hair that spans from his navel down into his trousers. Baekhyun's fingers follow that line, and when it dips under the hem, they do too.

Chanyeol hisses through his teeth before turning into a satisfied grin as Baekhyun pleasures him, first with his fingers, and then his mouth. Baekhyun is new to this, that much is obvious, but even just the conviction in those hazel eyes as they stare up at Chanyeol could push him over the edge. Chanyeol's head rocks back, his hand pushing Baekhyun's head down, testing his limits, and Baekhyun surprises him, only gagging near the very end. Baekhyun wipes the drool around his lips with the back of his hand as he catches his breath, only to be cut off by Chanyeol, kissing him again.

The thumbs swiping across Baekhyun's cheeks find their way into his mouth, and soon enough Baekhyun is sucking on all of Chanyeol's fingers. He loves the restlessness on the prince's face as he licks the gaps between them, not at all surprised when he suddenly gets hoisted up.

"Do you have anything like oil, or lotion," Chanyeol whispers in his ear before nipping at it. Baekhyun nods, reaching over Chanyeol to his bedside drawer; yelping when Chanyeol's mouth moves its attention to his nipple in their new position, breathing hard as he feels teeth closing over his skin.

Chanyeol lays him down, coating his own fingers generously, checking Baekhyun's condition before pushing in with them. The first time always stings, but he wants to give Baekhyun the most painless experience possible. He puts his mouth to good use again, taking Baekhyun into it in tandem with Baekhyun receiving his fingers. From this angle, he can see the shallow rise and fall of Baekhyun's chest, can watch his lovely face contort with pleasure. His spare hand reaches for Baekhyun's, their fingers locking as Baekhyun grips onto him for dear life. "Fuck me, Chanyeol," he breathes, doing his best to sound seductive even though he doesn't really know how.

Either way it works on Chanyeol. The prince picks him up again, wanting as much contact as he can get during this, before he guides himself in, feeling the air escaping Baekhyun's mouth on his neck even before hearing the gasp that accompanies it; feeling the moans leaving his throat reverberating in his own chest. He's known for a long time now that this is the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with, and he can't deny the satisfaction he feels knowing only he will see him, hear him, touch him, like this. "You're so lewd, Baekhyun," he says, dropping him on the bed and crawling over him. "Who knew you'd have it in you?"

"Is now the time to be condescending," Baekhyun asks, teasing Chanyeol with his foot on his crotch, grinning when Chanyeol recoils on reflex. "Aren't you going to do something with this?"

"You asked for it," Chanyeol laughs, kissing Baekhyun's smugness away, thrill rushing through him as Baekhyun's legs latch around his back. Finally, he feels like he's enough.

Soon enough Baekhyun's breath hitches, coming after Chanyeol touches him ever so slightly, but he doesn't let go. Chanyeol still needs him, after all. Again and again, as the night turns to morning, until they're both so exhausted they can barely move.

The first sunlight of the day streams through their window as it breaks over the horizon. They can't help but look at each other like this, so utterly wrecked but still the most beautiful things they've ever seen.

"Yoora's been driving me crazy telling me to go after you," Chanyeol mutters, fingers playing with a strand of Baekhyun's hair. "Come back to Lumïr with me."

"Is that the only reason you're asking?" Baekhyun laughs, his head on Chanyeol's bare chest, still in awe that this is all real.

Fingers brushing through his lover's hair, Chanyeol smiles and closes his eyes, letting a comfortable warmth envelop them. "Not even close."

♤

"You're off again so soon," Gayoung says, tucking the hem of Baekhyun's sweater under his collar. The rest of their family had spent the night at Jongdae's, which had been Baekbeom's wise call. "We barely got a chance to get to host our dear brother-in-law."

"You'd probably drive him insane if he had to stay in this small of a house with you," Baekbeom says, wrapping his arm around her waist. She glares up at him with a pout, but he kisses it away.

"The three of us and Jongdae will be there for the wedding," Baekbeom says, patting his brother on the shoulder, bowing slightly when Chanyeol emerges from the bedroom. "Thank you for taking care of Baekhyun."

"No need for such formalities," Chanyeol says. "We're family now." Baekbeom looks surprised at this statement coming from the prince, but Chanyeol continues. "My father and sister are both grateful towards you. I have seen first-hand your great capabilities as a healer. I understand this is a lot to ask," he says, looking between the three shocked faces staring back, "but would you like to move to Lumïr, to be employed by our court?"

Baekbeom's mouth remains agape for a moment before he sputters incoherently. Regaining composure, he says, "I hope this is not a favour won by nepotism."

"I'm not the type to risk the lives of those dearest to me to grant a favour," he says, and Baekhyun nods, assuring.

Baekbeom looks at them both, still stunned.

"I have checked your record, and it's outstanding. We shall pay you for the treatment and you may use that money and the rest of your time as you wish. I understand you're interested in philanthropy, but never had the means," Chanyeol smiles his real smile, and it's the first time Baekbeom and Gayoung have seen him do that. They're speechless, much to Baekhyun's amusement. "You will be a great addition to Lumïr, I believe. Think it over, and let me know if you'd like to accept."

A shrill yelp sounds from the other room, and Gayoung shakes herself awake, rushing over to get her baby. Baekhee looks at Baekhyun, then at Chanyeol, really focusing on him. The Byun family watch with interest, and Chanyeol, realising that this baby's judgement of him is probably very important for some reason, does his best to appear as dignified as possible.

Noticing this, Baekhee starts giggling uncontrollably.

"Congratulations, you passed," Baekhyun whispers, nudging Chanyeol slightly.

Chanyeol lets out a sigh of relief. "Not even sure what the test was, but I'm glad." He tucks a strand of Baekhyun's hair behind his ear. "Take as much time as you need to say goodbye. I'll be in the carriage outside."

He leaves, and it's like déja vu. But this time, there's joy on his family's faces, rather than worry. This is not about leaving home anymore - he has two homes now, one in Heddyn, and one in Chanyeol, wherever he is. Baekbeom and Gayoung bid him goodbye with happy tears, which Baekhyun reminds them to save for the wedding tomorrow. Baekhee, when taken into his arms, gives him a happy kiss on the cheek, hugging the plush that she had asked be returned to her. She's getting bigger too, but Baekhyun takes solace in the fact that she'll always be the Byun household's little girl.

Getting in the carriage now, he feels much lighter than before - no suitcase full of clothes this time, nor any burden weighing down his heart. Chanyeol sits inside, reading one of those books of his, and this time Baekhyun sits next to him, leaning his head on his shoulder. When his hand starts to feel cold, he reaches for Chanyeol's, satisfied by the way their fingers fit together just right, knowing that's enough to face the world.

♤

They've barely reached Lumïr when they're already being whisked away, for clothes fittings and food tasting and to be ranted at throughout all of it by Yoora.

"Did you really have to make up your argument only a day before Dayfull and your wedding? You two are going to be the end of me, I swear," she huffs, fanning herself. "You know, I told him to go get you earlier," she says to Baekhyun, pointing to her brother. "It was clear as day he was head over heels for you. I've never seen him as mopey as he was after you went home, and with him that's really saying something."

Chanyeol's ears tinge red, and Baekhyun giggles. "Better late than never."

Yoora looks like she wants to say something in rebuttal, but a quick glance between them tells her that her words are just going to fall on deaf ears. "There's no point in lecturing you two lovebirds any further, so I won't try. Jongin should be here with the clothes anytime now, and after that you both get some sleep." She looks at them sternly. "And I mean that, alright? You have to be at Borealis Peak by dawn, unless you want to be known as the couple who made Spring come a day late."

Knowing her she'd keep nagging if she could, but she's pulled away not a moment later by Seungil. "I think they got the picture. Right guys?" He winks at them both and they nod, much to Yoora's annoyance. "Alright, let's give them some space, dear."

They look between each other and laugh. They barely get to enjoy the time alone though, as soon enough they're being ushered into their bedroom, newly fitted with fresh furniture after the old ones burned down. Jongin enters not long later, cheeks seemingly tinted permanently red. He takes their measurements in silence, even as their eyes linger on him.

Eventually Baekhyun can no longer stop himself. "So, Prince Kyungsoo, is it."

Jongin fully blushes now, a stark contrast to the slightly cocky gait with which he carried himself the first time Baekhyun met him. "Please, he's planning to tell his parents himself soon, please don't reveal us to the public."

"Now why would we do that," Chanyeol scoffs a little at the suggestion. "If anything, I'm just glad to know that his reason for rejecting me was actually legitimate."

"Thinking about it, you did mention visiting Heddyn fairly often, and of course you would attend with Lumïr's royal convoy too," Baekhyun smirks. "We really ought to have put it together sooner."

Jongin still seems uneasy but finishes the job anyways, rushing out of there as fast as he can.

"Good luck to him," Baekhyun thinks aloud. "Scandal such as this in Heddyn won't be taken so lightly."

"All that drama just for some kisses," Chanyeol rolls his eyes, sitting on their bed and pulling Baekhyun onto his lap. "Imagine the scandal there'd be if they could hear what I want to do to you right now."

Baekhyun's neck cranes as Chanyeol starts to kiss it, but he laughs as he pushes him away. "Not today, Chanyeol. Everyone's eyes will be on us tomorrow. I don't want kiss marks on my neck on our big day."

"Why not?" Chanyeol perks an eyebrow, pulling his soon-to-be husband closer at the waist. "It'll work to let them know you're mine."

Baekhyun gives him a peck on his forehead. "I think that's clear enough already."

The rest of the day is a blur as they're moved around further, until at last they're herded into the carriage headed straight for Borealis Peak. They won't be staying at Junmyeon's tonight, given how last-minute everything's become, instead sleeping in the carriage as they travel through the night. It's not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement, but they make it work, dozing off in no time.

Baekhyun's eyes adjust to the darkness as he's softly shaken awake by Chanyeol. They've finally made it.

"Happy Dayfull," Baekhyun mumbles, making Chanyeol laugh, a little too loudly for this time of night.

"Happy Dayfull," he replies.

Even as the wind whips around the foot of Mt Borealis, solid in its perpetual winter, Baekhyun feels no chill. Not even a tendril of cold reaches him as he makes his way up that winding path with Chanyeol yet again. Last time he had written this off as basic human decency, but now he knows that wherever Chanyeol goes, warmth always follows.

At the peak, they can see out over the whole kingdom. The fisheries, the mines, the capital. All the people who will be watching them intently from tomorrow on. Up here, though, is one place they can truly be alone, a world away from the rest.

And Baekhyun knows it's now or never.

"I know the official ceremony is later," he starts, a little unsure of how this would be taken, steeling himself to say the words. "But I don't want to wait even a few hours to be bonded to you anymore. And it might be selfish of me, but I don't want to share the moment with anyone. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Chanyeol grins his big toothy smile. "I do. And I thought you'd never ask."

So they stare, seeing reflections of themselves in the eyes they love most. Unblinking, unwavering, even as Chanyeol lets his power drop for a moment, even as the bitter cold wind whips around them and tears well in their eyes. Their eyes stay locked, hazel and silver, until it's done, and they end it with an embrace, a ceremony for no one but themselves. They will welcome spring as a newly married couple.

"You're the sun, Baekhyun," Chanyeol says to him as they pull apart, "the sun to my moon. People will look to me because I reflect your brilliance."

Baekhyun shakes his head, cupping Chanyeol's face in his hand. "Nobody looks at the sun for too long for fear of blindness - aside from you, maybe," he pauses, and Chanyeol chuckles. "But the moon," he brushes his thumb across his cheek, "when it's darkest, it's the moon that people rely on." He kisses him gently, taking his hands and squeezing hard. "Lumïr's moon gets hidden by the smoke most of the time, but when it shines through..."

"It lights the path," Chanyeol finishes. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Baekhyun."

"You'd have always found a way to shine, Chanyeol," Baekhyun holds onto his wrist as he reaches out, their matching rings glinting in the twilight glow, feeling the comforting presence of his husband behind him like always.

"As would you," Chanyeol replies, taking a deep breath and releasing the flames from his fingertips; the soft strings of heat spilling out across the land, brilliant and bursting with light, cutting through the smoke like whips, letting moonlight and Earth make acquaintance once again.

Together, they shine twice as bright.


End file.
